Group write technique for a bus interface system

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of bus interface systems and methods of operating the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a bus interface system includes a master bus controller and multiple slave bus controllers that are each coupled to a bus line. The master bus controller is configured to generate a first set of data pulses along the bus line representing a payload segment. Each of the slave bus controllers decodes the first set of data pulses along the bus line representing the payload segment and performs an error check. Each slave bus controller is then configured to generate an acknowledgement pulse along the bus line to indicate that the slave bus controller&#39;s particular error check was passed. In this manner, the bus interface system can perform a group write bus function and the master bus controller can determine that the multiple slave bus controllers each received an accurate copy of the payload segment.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of provisional patent applicationSer. No. 61/953,251, filed Mar. 14, 2014, the disclosure of which ishereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Thisapplication is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/575,491, filed Dec. 18, 2014 and published as U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2015/0169482, which claims priority toprovisional patent application Ser. No. 61/917,610, filed Dec. 18, 2013.

The present application is related to concurrently filed U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/659,292, entitled “START OF SEQUENCE DETECTIONFOR ONE WIRE BUS” and published as U.S. Patent Application PublicationNo. 2015/0193373; concurrently filed U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/659,328, entitled “READ TECHNIQUE FOR A BUS INTERFACE SYSTEM” andpublished as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0193297;concurrently filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/659,355, entitled“WRITE TECHNIQUE FOR A BUS INTERFACE SYSTEM” and published as U.S.Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0193298; and concurrently filedU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/659,371, entitled “POWER MANAGEMENTSYSTEM FOR A BUS INTERFACE SYSTEM” and published as U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. 2015/0192974.

All of the applications listed above are hereby incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This disclosure relates generally to digital bus interfaces.

BACKGROUND

Digital bus interfaces are used to communicate data between componentswithin an electronic device, such as a computer, a radio frequency (RF)front-end module, a cellular telephone, a tablet, a camera, and/or thelike. The digital bus interface generally includes at least one masterbus controller and one or more slave bus controllers. The master buscontroller(s) and the slave bus controller(s) are connected by bus linesand the master bus controller coordinates the transfer of data along thebus lines. The slave bus controllers perform commands (e.g., read andwrite commands) as coordinated by the master bus controller. If morethan one master bus controller is provided, a bus arbitration scheme isgenerally implemented to negotiate between the various master buscontrollers. The bus lines that connect the master bus controller(s) tothe slave bus controllers typically include one or more data, power, andclock bus lines. Generally, the size of the digital bus interfaceincreases as more bus lines are provided in the digital bus interface.The increase is due to the number of wires which must be routed betweenthe bus controllers and the number of pins for the bus controllers thatmust be dedicated to the bus lines. In modern communication systems, thearea available for pins and wires is minimal.

Therefore, digital bus interface designs that utilize fewer bus linesare needed.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of bus interface systems and methods of operating the sameare disclosed. In one embodiment, a master bus controller, a first slavebus controller, and a second slave bus controller are each coupled to abus line. The master bus controller is configured to generate a firstset of data pulses along the bus line representing a payload segment.The first slave bus controller is configured to decode the first set ofdata pulses representing the payload segment into a first decodedpayload segment while the second slave bus controller is configured todecode the first set of data pulses representing the payload segmentinto a second decoded payload segment. To ensure accuracy, the firstslave bus controller is configured to perform a first error check on thefirst decoded payload segment. The first slave bus controller generatesa first acknowledgment pulse along the bus line in response to the firstdecoded payload segment passing the first error check. Similarly, thesecond slave bus controller is configured to perform a second errorcheck on the second decoded payload segment. The second slave buscontroller generates a second acknowledgment pulse along the bus line inresponse to the second decoded payload segment passing the second errorcheck. In this manner, the master bus controller can determine thatmultiple slave bus controllers each received an accurate copy of thepayload segment.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the presentdisclosure and realize additional aspects thereof after reading thefollowing detailed description of the preferred embodiments inassociation with the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming a part ofthis specification illustrate several aspects of the disclosure, andtogether with the description serve to explain the principles of thedisclosure.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a decoder, which may be provided ina bus controller of a bus interface system.

FIG. 2 illustrates a timing diagram for the decoder shown in FIG. 1during an exemplary data frame provided in accordance to a one wire PWMbus protocol.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of an oscillator provided within thedecoder shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary timing diagram for the oscillator shownin FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a counter, which may be providedwithin the decoder shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates a timing diagram for the counter shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary bus interface system having a slave buscontroller, a master bus controller, and a bus line, where the slave buscontroller derives power from the input data signal transmitted alongthe bus line.

FIG. 8 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the bus interfacesystem that includes exemplary embodiments of the slave bus controllerand the master bus controller, where the master bus controller is abridge bus controller.

FIG. 9 illustrates a timing diagram for the bus interface system shownin FIG. 8 during an exemplary data frame provided in accordance to a onewire PWM bus protocol.

FIG. 10 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the bus interfacesystem that includes a master bus controller and slave bus controllerscoupled in a daisy chain along the bus line.

FIG. 11 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the bus interfacesystem that includes a master bus controller and slave bus controllerswith a diplexer that reduces transmit injections along the bus line.

FIG. 12 illustrates another embodiment of the bus interface systemhaving an embodiment of the master bus controller and an embodiment ofthe slave bus controller coupled to the bus line, wherein the master buscontroller and the slave bus controller are configured to error checkcommunications along the bus line.

FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment of a read data frame for the businterface system shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment of a write data frame for the businterface system shown in FIG. 12.

FIG. 15 illustrates another embodiment of the bus interface systemhaving an embodiment of the master bus controller and embodiments ofslave bus controllers, wherein the slave bus controllers are configuredto operate in a round robin acknowledgment configuration.

FIG. 16 illustrates one embodiment of a group write data frame for thebus interface system shown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is an exemplary signal diagram of the bus interface system shownin FIG. 16 performing a round robin acknowledgment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information toenable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments andillustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading thefollowing description in light of the accompanying drawing figures,those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosureand will recognize applications of these concepts not particularlyaddressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts andapplications fall within the scope of the disclosure and theaccompanying claims.

With regard to the term “terminal,” a terminal refers to any conductivefeature in an electronic component for receiving signals, transmittingsignals, and/or establishing a connection to another electroniccomponent. For instance, a terminal may be one or more nodes, ports,conductive pads, pins, solder bumps, leads, pins, and/or the like.

When relative terminology, such as “approximately,” “substantially,” andthe like are used in this disclosure, the relative terminology should beinterpreted sensu lato but also in accordance to error tolerancesdictated by performance parameters for a particular apparatus or method.These performance parameters may be described explicitly and/orimplicitly by technical standard(s) relevant to an application that usesthe particular apparatus or method to implement certain designedfunctions.

This disclosure relates generally to bus interface systems, componentsfor bus interface systems, and related methods of operating the same.Embodiments of a bus interface system may be a digital bus interfacesystem and may include various bus controllers connected by a bus line.For example, a bus interface system may include a master bus controllerand a slave bus controller coupled by a bus line. Some embodiments ofthe bus interface system may be one wire bus interface systems wherepower, synchronization, payload information, and address information areall delivered to the slave bus controller on the bus line such that noother bus lines are provided between the master bus controller and theslave bus controller. More specifically, the master bus controller maybe configured to generate an input data signal and transmit the inputdata signal on the bus line to the slave bus controller. The slave buscontroller may include a decoder that extracts address information andpayload information from the input data signal. As explained in furtherdetail below, a bus protocol utilizing pulse width modulation (PWM) maybe utilized where the decoder is clocked by the input data signal itselfso that a separate clock signal does not have to be provided to theslave bus controller. Some embodiments of the slave bus controller mayalso include power conversion circuitry configured to convert the inputdata signal into a supply voltage. Accordingly, the slave bus controllermay also be powered by the input data signal itself. In this manner, noother bus line has to be provided in the bus interface system in orderto couple the master bus controller to the slave bus controller.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a decoder 10, which may be providedin a bus controller of a bus interface system, such as a digitalinterface bus system. The decoder 10 is configured to receive an inputdata signal SDATA. The input data signal SDATA may be provided along abus line 12 to the bus controller. The input data signal SDATA maydefine data pulses in order to represent data being transmitted alongthe bus line 12. For example, the input data signal SDATA may definedata pulses such that logical values (e.g. bit values, logical symbols)are represented in accordance with a PWM bus protocol by the datapulses. More specifically, different logical values may be representedby a temporal duration of a data pulse during a time slot. As explainedin further detail below, the PWM bus protocol also allows for thedecoder 10 to be clocked by the input data signal SDATA itself, and thusan additional bus line does not have to be provided for a system clocksignal in order to synchronize the decoder 10.

With regard to the input data signal SDATA, the data pulses defined bythe input data signal SDATA are provided during time slots. Morespecifically, each of the data pulses may be provided during a differentone of the time slots. The PWM bus protocol may organize the data pulsesinto data frames, where the data frame includes a certain number of thedata pulses provided during a certain number of time slots. A temporallength of the time slots and thus of the data frame may be defined bythe PWM bus protocol. For example, the PWM bus protocol may also allowfor a bus address and a payload to be provided during certain time slotsof the data frame. Also, an initial time slot of the data frame may beutilized to calibrate the decoder 10 as explained in further detailbelow. Accordingly, both the bus address and the payload can be providedby the input data signal SDATA so that additional address or data buslines do not have to be provided. Furthermore, since the input datasignal SDATA can also be used to calibrate the decoder 10, additionalclock lines also do not have to be provided to synchronize the decoder10. In this manner, a bus controller with the decoder 10, such as aslave bus controller, can extract both a bus address and a payloadwithout requiring additional bus lines.

As shown in FIG. 1, the decoder includes an oscillator 14, counterenabling circuitry 16, a first counter 18, a second counter 20, acomparison circuit 22 and a sequential state element 24. The oscillator14 is operable to receive the input data signal SDATA from the bus line12. As mentioned above, each of the data pulses may be provided during adifferent one of the time slots. In other words, the data pulsesprovided by the input data signal SDATA may correspond injectively withthe time slots.

In this embodiment, the oscillator 14 includes an enabling terminal 26and is coupled to the bus line 12 so that the input data signal SDATA isreceived at the enabling terminal 26. In this manner, the oscillator 14is configured to be enabled by the data pulses of the input data signalSDATA. In other words, the oscillator 14 is triggered by an activatingedge of each of the data pulses of the input data signal SDATA. Theoscillator 14 is configured to generate oscillation pulses whileenabled. The oscillator 14 shown in FIG. 1 is operable to provide anoscillation signal OVR_CLK from an output terminal 28 of the oscillator14. While enabled, the oscillator 14 is configured to provide theoscillation signal OVR_CLK so that the oscillation signal OVR_CLKdefines the oscillation pulses. The oscillator 14 is then deactivated inresponse to an end of the data pulse. More specifically, the oscillator14 is deactivated and does not generate oscillation pulses in responseto a deactivation edge of each of the data pulses of the input datasignal SDATA. While deactivated, the oscillation signal OVR_CLK does notprovide the oscillation pulses and thus does not provide the oscillationsignal OVR_CLK. The oscillation signal OVR_CLK is held in a deactivationstate while the oscillator 14 is not enabled and deactivated. Since theoscillator 14 is enabled by the data pulses of the input data signalSDATA and deactivated when the data pulses of the input data signalSDATA are not provided, the decoder 10 is more power efficient. Forinstance, little to no current may be drawn by the oscillator 14 whendeactivated as a result of the input data signal SDATA being between thedata pulses. When the oscillator 14 is deactivated, the oscillator 14does not generate the oscillation pulses, and thus little to no powermay be consumed by the oscillator 14 while deactivated.

In accordance with the PWM bus protocol, a pulse rate of the oscillationsignal OVR_CLK is significantly greater than a pulse rate of the datapulses of the input data signal SDATA. For example, the oscillator 14 isconfigured to generate the oscillation pulses when enabled at a pulserate that is at least three times greater than a pulse rate of the datapulses. Thus, for a particular data pulse provided during a particulartime slot, a temporal duration (i.e., a pulse width) of the particulardata pulse in the input data signal SDATA can be determined by thenumber of oscillation pulses provided in the oscillation signal OVR_CLKduring the particular time slot. The PWM bus protocol assigns differenttemporal durations (i.e., different pulse widths) to different logicalvalues. In this manner, the decoder 10 can count the number ofoscillation pulses provided in the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during theparticular time slot and thereby determine the logical value beingrepresented by the particular data pulse during that particular timeslot, as explained in further detail below. Note that how much greaterthe pulse rate of the oscillation signal OVR_CLK is with respect to thepulse rate of the input data signal SDATA may depend on various factorssuch as a cardinality of the set of logical values that can berepresented by each of the data pulses and an acceptable error rate indiscriminating between the different logical values. For example, it iseasier to discriminate what logical value a data pulse represents if aset of logical values that can be represented by the data pulse onlyincludes a bit value of “1” and a bit value “0.” Thus, the pulse rate ofthe oscillation signal OVR_CLK can be lower if desired in this case. Itis more difficult to discriminate what logical value a particular datapulse represents if the set of logical values includes logical symbols,such as “0,” “1,” “2.” However, the greater the cardinality of the setof logical values that can be represented by the data pulse, the greaterthe informational efficiency of the PWM bus protocol.

As shown in FIG. 1, both the first counter 18 and the second counter 20are configured to receive the oscillation signal OVR_CLK from theoscillator 14. More specifically, the first counter 18 includes an inputterminal 30 coupled to the output terminal 28 of the oscillator 14 sothat the first counter 18 receives the oscillation signal OVR_CLK at theinput terminal 30. The second counter 20 includes an input terminal 32coupled to the output terminal 28 of the oscillator 14 so that thesecond counter 20 receives the oscillation signal OVR_CLK at the inputterminal 32. The first counter 18 and the second counter 20 are eachenabled and disabled by the counter enabling circuitry 16.

The first counter 18 is operable to store a first count parameterBIT_CNT. While the first counter 18 is enabled by the counter enablingcircuitry 16, the first counter 18 is configured to increment the firstcount parameter BIT_CNT in response to each of the oscillation pulsesprovided by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK. When the first counter 18 isdisabled by the counter enabling circuitry, the first counter 18 holdsthe first count parameter BIT_CNT at its current value. The secondcounter 20 is operable to store the reference parameter SYNC_CNT. Whilethe second counter 20 is enabled by the counter enabling circuitry 16,the second counter 20 is configured to increment the reference parameterSYNC_CNT in response to each of the oscillation pulses provided by theoscillation signal OVR_CLK. When the second counter 20 is disabled bythe counter enabling circuitry 16, the second counter 20 holds thereference parameter SYNC_CNT at its current value.

The input data signal SDATA may be formatted in accordance with the PWMbus protocol so that the data pulses defined by the input data signalSDATA during the time slots are organized into data frames. For eachdata frame, an initial time slot may be a calibration time slot. Thedata pulse provided during the calibration time slot is a calibrationpulse, which may be provided by a bus controller (e.g., a master buscontroller as explained in further detail below) with a precise pulseduration. For example, a duty cycle of the calibration pulse may beapproximately 50% with respect to the calibration time slot and thus beprovided during half of the calibration time slot. The oscillator 14 isconfigured to be enabled by the calibration data pulse. As explained infurther detail below, the counter enabling circuitry 16 is configured todisable the first counter 18 and enable the second counter 20 during thecalibration time slot of the data frame. Also, the second counter 20 mayhave reset the reference parameter SYNC_CNT to an initial value (e.g.,such as zero) prior to an activation edge of the calibration pulse.Thus, during the calibration time slot of each of the data frames, thesecond counter 20 is configured to count the oscillation pulses definedby the oscillation signal OVR_CLK. In this manner, the referenceparameter SYNC_CNT indicates a reference number, and the referencenumber is based on how many of the oscillation pulses were generated bythe oscillator 14 during the calibration time slot as a result of thecalibration pulse. In this example, the reference number is equal to howmany of the oscillation pulses were generated by the oscillator 14during the calibration time slot. This reference number is used todetermine logical values of a remainder of the data pulses provided inthe data frame. By making the decoder 10 responsive to the calibrationpulse as described above, the decoder 10 can be synchronized andcalibrated by the input data signal SDATA itself without having toreceive an external clock signal on another bus line. It should be notedthat in other embodiments, the calibration time slot may be greater thanthe other time slots in the data frame. Thus, in these cases, thereference number may be equal to some fraction of the number ofoscillation pulses that were generated by the oscillator during thecalibration time slot. In this case, the second counter 20 may beconfigured to be incremented after a certain number of the oscillationpulses or may include division circuitry that divides the referenceparameter SYNC_CNT by the appropriate integer after the calibrationpulse so that the reference parameter SYNC_CNT is stored after thecalibration time pulse to equal the appropriate fraction of the numberof oscillation pulses that were generated by the oscillator during thecalibration time slot.

In accordance with the PWM bus protocol, the remainder of the datapulses provided in the other time slots of the data frame may representa bus address, a payload, and/or the like. To recover the logical valuerepresented by a data pulse during a time slot, the first counter 18 isconfigured to count the oscillation pulses such that the first countparameter BIT_CNT indicates a number of the oscillation pulses generatedduring the time slot. More specifically, after the calibration timeslot, the counter enabling circuitry 16 is configured to disable thesecond counter 20 and enable the first counter 18 in response to thedata pulse defined by the input data signal SDATA during the time slot.Thus, for the remainder of the time slots in the data frame, the secondcounter 20 holds the reference parameter SYNC_CNT indicating thereference number, which is how many of the oscillation pulses weregenerated by the oscillator during the calibration time slot as a resultof the calibration pulse.

The first counter 18 is configured to reset the first count parameterBIT_CNT to an initial value (e.g., zero) in response to the activationedge of the data pulse. In response to the data pulse defined by theinput data signal SDATA during the time slot, the oscillator 14 isconfigured to be enabled by the data pulse of the input data signalSDATA and generate oscillation pulses while enabled. The first counter18 (which has been enabled by the counter enabling circuitry 16) isconfigured to increment the first count parameter BIT_CNT in response tothe oscillation pulses from the oscillator 14. Thus, for each of thedata pulses provided after the calibration time slot, the first counter18 is configured to count the oscillation pulses defined by theoscillation signal OVR_CLK such that the first count parameter BIT_CNTindicates a number of the oscillation pulses generated during the timeslot. The oscillation pulses defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLKwere generated as a result of the data pulse of the input data signalSDATA. In this manner, the first count parameter BIT_CNT indicates howmany of the oscillation pulses were generated during the time slotduring the data pulse of the input data signal SDATA.

To determine the logical value of the data pulse from the first countparameter BIT_CNT, the comparison circuit 22 is configured to comparethe first count parameter BIT_CNT with the reference parameter SYNC_CNT.As explained above, the reference parameter SYNC_CNT indicates thereference number, which is a count of the oscillation pulses that weregenerated by the oscillator 14 during the calibration time slot as aresult of the calibration pulse at the beginning of the data frame. ThePWM bus protocol may define a set of logical values that may berepresented by each of the data pulses provided during the time slots ofthe data frame after the calibration time slot. The comparison circuit22 is configured to generate a data output 34 such that the data output34 represents a first logical value in response to the first countparameter BIT_CNT being greater than the reference parameter SYNC_CNTand such that the data output 34 represents a second logical value inresponse to the first count parameter BIT_CNT being less than thereference parameter SYNC_CNT.

For a bit scheme, the set of logical values may be the set of bit values[0, 1]. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the comparison circuit 22 isconfigured to the data output 34 as a data output signal such that thedata output signal represents an output bit. The output bit is a firstbit value (e.g., bit value of 1 in the set of bit values [0, 1]) if thefirst count parameter BIT_CNT is greater than the reference parameterSYNC_CNT. For example, in this case, the data pulse defined during thetime slot by the data pulse of the input data signal SDATA had atemporal duration that was longer than a temporal duration of thecalibration pulse defined by the data pulse of the input data signalSDATA during the calibration time slot. As a result, the number ofoscillation pulses provided by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK duringthis time slot is greater than the number of oscillation pulses providedduring the calibration time slot. Thus, the comparison circuit 22 willdetermine that the first count parameter BIT_CNT is greater than thereference parameter SYNC_CNT and generate the data output 34 such thatthe data output 34 represents the first bit value (e.g., the bit value1).

The output bit is a second bit value (e.g., bit value of 0 in the set ofbit values [0, 1]) if the first count parameter BIT_CNT is less than thereference parameter SYNC_CNT. In this case, the data pulse definedduring the time slot by the data pulse of the input data signal SDATAhad a temporal duration that was shorter than a temporal duration of thecalibration pulse defined by the data pulse of the input data signalSDATA during the calibration time slot. As a result, the number ofoscillation pulses provided by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK duringthis time slot is less than the number of oscillation pulses providedduring the calibration time slot. Thus, the comparison circuit 22 willdetermine that the first count parameter BIT_CNT is less than thereference parameter SYNC_CNT and generate the data output 34 such thatthe data output 34 represents the second bit value (e.g., the bit value0).

The sequential state element 24 is configured to receive the data output34 and store the output bit represented by the data output 34, which inthis example is provided by a data output signal. In this example, thesequential state element 24 is a flip-flop that has a data inputterminal D, a clock terminal C, and a data output terminal Q. The dataoutput 34 (e.g., the data output signal) is received by the sequentialstate element 24 at the data input terminal D. The input data signalSDATA is received at the clock terminal C and thus is used to clock thesequential state element 24. A memory input signal 38 is generated atthe data output terminal Q so that the bit value stored by thesequential state element 24 is provided to memory outside of the decoder10. As explained below, in other embodiments, the set of logical valuesthat can be represented by the data pulses may be logical symbols. Inthis case, the data output 34 may have multiple data output signals inorder to represent multiple bits. Thus, additional sequential stateelements (not explicitly shown) may be provided to store the variousbits.

As shown in FIG. 1, the comparison circuit 22 is provided as asubtractor that is configured to compare the first count parameterBIT_CNT with the reference parameter SYNC_CNT by subtracting the firstcount parameter BIT_CNT and the reference parameter SYNC_CNT. In thisembodiment, the comparison circuit 22 is configured to subtract thefirst count parameter BIT_CNT from the reference parameter SYNC_CNT todetermine a difference between the first count parameter BIT_CNT and thereference parameter SYNC_CNT. If the difference is positive, thecomparison circuit 22 circuit generates the data output 34 to representthe first bit value (e.g., the bit value 1). If the difference isnegative, the comparison circuit 22 circuit generates the data output 34to represent the second bit value (e.g., the bit value 0).

As mentioned above, the counter enabling circuitry 16 is configured toenable the second counter 20 and disable the first counter 18 during acalibration time slot of the data frame and enable the first counter 18and disable the second counter 20 during time slots of the data frameafter the calibration time slot. To do this, the counter enablingcircuitry 16 shown in FIG. 1 includes a modulo counter 40 and a logicalnetwork 42. The modulo counter 40 is operable to store a modulo counterparameter MOD_CNT and receive the input data signal SDATA at an inputterminal 44. The modulo counter 40 is configured to increment the modulocounter parameter MOD_CNT in response to each of the data pulses definedby input data signal SDATA, including the calibration pulse and theother data pulses defined during the time slots of a data frame.

Since the modulo counter 40 is modulo, the modulo counter parameterMOD_CNT wraps around to cycle through an initial value to a final valueand back to the initial value to cycle through the values again. Thecycle can be set in accordance with the number of time slots provided ineach data frame. For example, if the number of time slots in each dataframe is an integer N and the initial value is zero (0), then the modulocounter 40 can be configured to cycle the modulo counter parameterMOD_CNT between the initial value of zero (0) and the final value ofN−1. Accordingly, the initial value (e.g., zero (0)) can be used toindicate the initial time slot of a data frame, which in this embodimentis the calibration time slot that has the calibration pulse. Any otherone of the values in the cycle is for time slots after the calibrationtime slot. The final value of N−1 indicates that the last time slot inthe data frame has been reached. If the modulo counter parameter MOD_CNTis incremented again after reaching the final value of N−1, the modulocounter parameter MOD_CNT wraps back around to the initial value of zero(0) and thereby indicates the calibration time slot for the next dataframe. The initial value of zero (0) is thus a calibration number thatindicates the calibration time slot of the data frame. In this manner,the counter enabling circuitry 16 allows the decoder 10 to besynchronized with the various data frames provided with the input datasignal SDATA.

The logical network 42 is configured to disable the first counter 18 andenable the second counter 20 such that the second counter 20 counts theoscillation pulses if the modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT is equal to acalibration number (e.g. zero (0)). In this example, the logical network42 is configured to generate an enabling signal 46 received at anenabling terminal 48 of the first counter 18 and generate an enablingsignal 50 received at an enabling terminal 52 of the second counter 20.The logical network 42 generates the enabling signal 46 in adeactivation state, and the enabling signal 50 in an activation state ifthe modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT is equal to a calibration number(e.g. zero (0)). As such, the first counter 18 is disabled and thesecond counter is enabled during the calibration time slot. However, thelogical network 42 is configured to enable the first counter 18 anddisable the second counter 20 such that the first counter 18 counts theoscillation pulses if the modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT is not equalto the calibration number. Thus, the logical network 42 shown in FIG. 1generates the enabling signal 46 in the activation state and theenabling signal 50 in the deactivation state when the modulo counterparameter MOD_CNT is equal to any value from 1 to N−1. As such, thefirst counter 18 is enabled and the second counter is disabled duringthe time slots that are provided after the calibration time slot.

Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, FIG. 2 illustrates a timing diagramfor the decoder 10 shown in FIG. 1 during an exemplary data frameprovided in accordance to a one wire PWM bus protocol. As shown in FIG.2, the data frame in this example has eight time slots (referred togenerally and generically as elements TS and specifically as elementsTS[0]-TS[7]). The timing diagram shown in FIG. 2 illustrates signallevels and parameter values for embodiments of a system clock signalSCLK, the input data signal SDATA, the modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT,the oscillator signal OVS_CLK, the reference parameter SYNC_CNT, and thefirst counter parameter BIT_CNT as a function of time during the timeslots of the data frame. The system clock signal SCLK is ignored by thedecoder 10 and is not provided at all to the decoder 10 shown in FIG. 1.However, the system clock signal SCLK may be utilized by outsidecircuitry (such as a master bus controller) to generate the input datasignal SDATA, as explained in further detail below. The system clocksignal SCLK is being shown here to help clarify the timing diagram withrespect to system timing despite the decoder 10 not utilizing the systemclock signal SCLK. As shown in FIG. 2, a time duration of each of thetime slots TS is approximately equal to four clock cycles.

The input data signal SDATA provided to the decoder 10 defines datapulses (referred to generally or generically as elements DP andspecifically as elements DP[0] to DP[6]) during each of the time slotsTS[1]-TS[6]. More specifically, a data pulse DP[0] is defined by theinput data signal SDATA during a time slot TS[0]. This is the initialtime slot, which is a calibration time slot. Thus, the data pulse DP[0]is a calibration data pulse. A duty cycle of the data pulse DP[0] is50%, and thus the data pulse DP[0] is provided for half the time slotTS[0] and has a temporal duration equal to two clock cycles of thesystem clock signal SCLK. The PWM bus protocol in this example uses oneof the time slots to communicate a one-bit command. A data pulse DP[1]is defined by the input data signal SDATA during a time slot TS[1]. Thetime slot TS[1] is a command time slot and the data pulse DP[1]represents a command bit. A duty cycle of the data pulse DP[1] is 25%,and thus the data pulse DP[1] is provided for one quarter of the timeslot TS[1] and has a temporal duration equal to one clock cycle of thesystem clock signal SCLK.

The PWM bus protocol in this example uses two of the time slots tocommunicate a two-bit bus address. A data pulse DP[2] is defined by theinput data signal SDATA during a time slot TS[2]. The time slot TS[2] isa bus address time slot, and the data pulse DP[2] represents an addressbit for a bus address. A duty cycle of the data pulse DP[2] is 75%, andthus the data pulse DP[2] is provided for 3 quarters of the time slotTS[2] and has a temporal duration equal to three clock cycles of thesystem clock signal SCLK. A data pulse DP[3] is defined by the inputdata signal SDATA during a time slot TS[3]. The time slot TS[3] is alsoan address time slot, and the data pulse DP[3] represents anotheraddress bit for the bus address. A duty cycle of the data pulse DP[3] is25% and thus the data pulse DP[3] is provided for one quarter of thetime slot TS[3] and has a temporal duration equal to one clock cycle ofthe system clock signal SCLK.

The PWM bus protocol in this example uses three of the time slots TS tocommunicate a three-bit payload. A data pulse DP[4] is defined by theinput data signal SDATA during a time slot TS[4]. The time slot TS[4] isa payload time slot, and the data pulse DP[4] represents a first databit for the three-bit data payload. A duty cycle of the data pulse DP[4]is 75%, and thus the data pulse DP[4] is provided for 3 quarters of thetime slot TS[4] and has a temporal duration equal to three clock cyclesof the system clock signal SCLK. A data pulse DP[5] is defined by theinput data signal SDATA during a time slot TS[5]. The time slot TS[5] isanother payload time slot, and the data pulse DP[5] represents a seconddata bit for the three-bit data payload. A duty cycle of the data pulseDP[5] is 75%, and thus the data pulse DP[5] is provided for 3 quartersof the time slot TS[5] and has a temporal duration equal to three clockcycles of the system clock signal SCLK. A data pulse DP[6] is defined bythe input data signal SDATA during a time slot TS[6]. The time slotTS[6] is yet another payload time slot, and the data pulse DP[6]represents a third data bit for the three-bit data payload. A duty cycleof the data pulse DP[6] is 25%, and thus the data pulse DP[6] isprovided for a quarter of the time slot TS[6] and has a temporalduration equal to one clock cycle of the system clock signal SCLK. Atime slot TS[7] is a set up time slot for the next data frame. Duringthe time slot TS[7], the input data signal SDATA is held high. The timeslot TS[7] may extend for any period of time, and thus may be longerthan the time slots TS[1]-TS[6].

As shown in FIG. 2, the modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT is provided toequal the calibration number of zero (0) during the time slot TS[0],which is the calibration time slot. The counter enabling circuitry 16 isthus configured to enable the second counter 20 and disable the firstcounter 18. The oscillator 14 is configured to be enabled by the datapulse DP[0], which is the calibration pulse provided during thecalibration time slot (i.e., TS[0]). The reference parameter SYNC_CNT ofthe second counter 20 may have been reset to an initial value of zero(0) prior to an activation edge AE[0] of the data pulse DP[0]. Thesecond counter 20 is configured to count the oscillation pulses OP[0]defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during the time slot TS[0] asa result of the data pulse DP[0] (the calibration pulse). Morespecifically, the second counter 20 is configured to increment thereference parameter SYNC_CNT as a result of each of the oscillationpulses OP[0] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during the timeslot TS[0]. In this example, the reference parameter SYNC_CNT is setequal to a reference number of six (6) as a result of the sixoscillation pulses OP[0] generated as a result of the data pulse DP[0]during the time slot TS[0]. As a result of the end of the data pulseDP[0], no more of the oscillation pulses OP[0] are generated, and theoscillation signal OVS_CLK is held in a deactive state for a remainderof the time slot TS[0]. Accordingly, the reference parameter SYNC_CNTindicates the reference number of six (6), which is how many of theoscillation pulses OP[0] were generated by the oscillator 14 during thetime slot TS[0] (i.e., the calibration time slot) as a result of thedata pulse DP[0] (i.e., the calibration pulse).

The modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT is provided to equal the number ofone (1) during the time slot TS[1], which is the command time slot. Thecounter enabling circuitry 16 is thus configured to enable the firstcounter 18 and disable the second counter 20. As such, the secondcounter 20 holds the reference parameter SYNC_CNT at the referencenumber of six (6). The oscillator 14 is configured to be enabled by thedata pulse DP[1], which is the command time slot. The first counter 18may be configured to reset the first count parameter BIT_CNT to aninitial value of zero (0) in response to an activation edge AE[1] of thedata pulse DP[1]. The first counter 18 is configured to count theoscillation pulses OP[1] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLKduring the time slot TS[1] as a result of the data pulse DP[1] (thecommand pulse), which had a 25% duty cycle.

More specifically, the first counter 18 is configured to increment thefirst count parameter BIT_CNT as a result of each of the oscillationpulses OP[1] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during the timeslot TS[1]. In this example, the first count parameter BIT_CNT is setequal to a number of four (4) as a result of the four oscillation pulsesOP[1] generated as a result of the data pulse DP[1] during the time slotTS[1]. As a result of the end of the data pulse DP[1], no more of theoscillation pulses OP[1] are generated and the oscillation signalOVS_CLK is held in a deactive state for a remainder of the time slotTS[1]. Accordingly, the first count parameter BIT_CNT indicates a numberof four (4), which is how many of the oscillation pulses OP[1] weregenerated by the oscillator 14 during the time slot TS[1] (i.e., thecommand time slot) as a result of the data pulse DP[1] (i.e., a commandpulse). The comparison circuit 22 then subtracts the reference parameterSYNC_CNT from the first count parameter BIT_CNT. Since four (4) minussix (6) is negative, the comparison circuit 22 generates the data output34 so that the data output 34 represents a bit value of 0. The commandbit has thus been recovered in this case to equal the bit value of 0,which may indicate a write command. If the command bit had been a bitvalue of 1, this may have indicated a read command.

The modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT is provided to equal the number oftwo (2) during the time slot TS[2], which is a first address time slot.The counter enabling circuitry 16 is thus configured to enable the firstcounter 18 and disable the second counter 20. As such, the secondcounter 20 holds the reference parameter SYNC_CNT at the referencenumber of six (6). The oscillator 14 is configured to be enabled by thedata pulse DP[2], which is a first address time slot. The first counter18 may be configured to reset the first count parameter BIT_CNT to aninitial value of zero (0) in response to an activation edge AE[2] of thedata pulse DP[2]. The first counter 18 is configured to count theoscillation pulses OP[2] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLKduring the time slot TS[2] as a result of the data pulse DP[2] (i.e., afirst address pulse), which has a 75% duty cycle.

More specifically, the first counter 18 is configured to increment thefirst count parameter BIT_CNT as a result of each of the oscillationpulses OP[2] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during the timeslot TS[2]. In this example, the first count parameter BIT_CNT is setequal to a number of nine (9) as a result of the nine oscillation pulsesOP[2] generated as a result of the data pulse DP[2] during the time slotTS[2]. As a result of the end of the data pulse DP[2], no more of theoscillation pulses OP[2] are generated, and the oscillation signalOVS_CLK is held in a deactive state for a remainder of the time slotTS[2]. Accordingly, the first count parameter BIT_CNT indicates a numberof nine (9), which is how many of the oscillation pulses OP[2] weregenerated by the oscillator 14 during the time slot TS[2] (i.e., thefirst address time slot) as a result of the data pulse DP[2] (i.e., thefirst address pulse). The comparison circuit 22 then subtracts thereference parameter SYNC_CNT from the first count parameter BIT_CNT.Since nine (9) minus six (6) is positive, the comparison circuit 22generates the data output 34 so that the data output 34 represents a bitvalue of 1. The first address bit has thus been recovered in this caseto equal a bit value of 1.

The modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT is provided to equal the number ofthree (3) during the time slot TS[3], which is a second address timeslot. The counter enabling circuitry 16 is thus configured to enable thefirst counter 18 and disable the second counter 20. As such, the secondcounter 20 holds the reference parameter SYNC_CNT at the referencenumber of six (6). The oscillator 14 is configured to be enabled by thedata pulse DP[3], which is a second address time slot. The first counter18 may be configured to reset the first count parameter BIT_CNT to aninitial value of zero (0) in response to an activation edge AE[3] of thedata pulse DP[3]. The first counter 18 is configured to count theoscillation pulses OP[3] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLKduring the time slot TS[3] as a result of the data pulse DP[3] (i.e., asecond address pulse), which has a 25% duty cycle.

More specifically, the first counter 18 is configured to increment thefirst count parameter BIT_CNT as a result of each of the oscillationpulses OP[3] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during the timeslot TS[3]. In this example, the first count parameter BIT_CNT is setequal to a number of four (4) as a result of the four oscillation pulsesOP[3] generated as a result of the data pulse DP[3] during the time slotTS[3]. As a result of the end of the data pulse DP[3], no more of theoscillation pulses OP[3] are generated, and the oscillation signalOVS_CLK is held in a deactive state for a remainder of the time slotTS[3]. Accordingly, the first count parameter BIT_CNT indicates a numberof four (4), which is how many of the oscillation pulses OP[3] weregenerated by the oscillator 14 during the time slot TS[3] (i.e., thesecond address time slot) as a result of the data pulse DP[3] (i.e., thesecond address pulse). The comparison circuit 22 then subtracts thereference parameter SYNC_CNT from the first count parameter BIT_CNT.Since four (4) minus six (6) is negative, the comparison circuit 22generates the data output 34 so that the data output 34 represents a bitvalue of 0. The second address bit has thus been recovered in this caseto equal a bit value of 0.

The modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT is provided to equal a number offour (4) during the time slot TS[4], which is a first payload time slot.The counter enabling circuitry 16 is thus configured to enable the firstcounter 18 and disable the second counter 20. As such, the secondcounter 20 holds the reference parameter SYNC_CNT at the referencenumber of six (6). The oscillator 14 is configured to be enabled by thedata pulse DP[4], which is the first payload time slot. The firstcounter 18 may be configured to reset the first count parameter BIT_CNTto an initial value of zero (0) in response to an activation edge AE[4]of the data pulse DP[4]. The first counter 18 is configured to count theoscillation pulses OP[4] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLKduring the time slot TS[4] as a result of the data pulse DP[4] (i.e., afirst payload pulse), which has a 75% duty cycle.

More specifically, the first counter 18 is configured to increment thefirst count parameter BIT_CNT as a result of each of the oscillationpulses OP[4] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during the timeslot TS[4]. In this example, the first count parameter BIT_CNT is setequal to a number of nine (9) as a result of the nine oscillation pulsesOP[4] generated as a result of the data pulse DP[4] during the time slotTS[4]. As a result of the end of the data pulse DP[4], no more of theoscillation pulses OP[4] are generated, and the oscillation signalOVS_CLK is held in a deactive state for a remainder of the time slotTS[4]. Accordingly, the first count parameter BIT_CNT indicates a numberof nine (9), which is how many of the oscillation pulses OP[4] weregenerated by the oscillator 14 during the time slot TS[4] (i.e., thefirst payload time slot) as a result of the data pulse DP[4] (i.e., thefirst payload pulse). The comparison circuit 22 then subtracts thereference parameter SYNC_CNT from the first count parameter BIT_CNT.Since nine (9) minus six (6) is positive, the comparison circuit 22generates the data output 34 so that the data output 34 represents a bitvalue of 1. The first payload bit has thus been recovered in this caseto equal a bit value of 1.

The modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT is provided to equal the number offive (5) during the time slot TS[5], which is a second payload timeslot. The counter enabling circuitry 16 is thus configured to enable thefirst counter 18 and disable the second counter 20. As such, the secondcounter 20 holds the reference parameter SYNC_CNT at the referencenumber of six (6). The oscillator 14 is configured to be enabled by thedata pulse DP[5], which is the second payload time slot. The firstcounter 18 may be configured to reset the first count parameter BIT_CNTto an initial value of zero (0) in response to an activation edge AE[5]of the data pulse DP[5]. The first counter 18 is configured to count theoscillation pulses OP[5] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLKduring the time slot TS[5] as a result of the data pulse DP[5] (i.e., asecond payload pulse), which has a 75% duty cycle.

More specifically, the first counter 18 is configured to increment thefirst count parameter BIT_CNT as a result of each of the oscillationpulses OP[5] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during the timeslot TS[5]. In this example, the first count parameter BIT_CNT is setequal to a number of nine (9) as a result of the nine oscillation pulsesOP[5] generated as a result of the data pulse DP[5] during the time slotTS[5]. As a result of the end of the data pulse DP[5], no more of theoscillation pulses OP[5] are generated, and the oscillation signalOVS_CLK is held in a deactive state for a remainder of the time slotTS[5]. Accordingly, the first count parameter BIT_CNT indicates a numberof nine (9), which is how many of the oscillation pulses OP[5] weregenerated by the oscillator 14 during the time slot TS[5] (i.e., thesecond payload time slot) as a result of the data pulse DP[5] (i.e., thesecond payload pulse). The comparison circuit 22 then subtracts thereference parameter SYNC_CNT from the first count parameter BIT_CNT.Since nine (9) minus six (6) is positive, the comparison circuit 22generates the data output 34 so that the data output 34 represents a bitvalue of 1. The second payload bit has thus been recovered in this caseto equal a bit value of 1.

Also, the modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT is provided to equal a numberof six (6) during the time slot TS[6], which is a third payload timeslot. The counter enabling circuitry 16 is thus configured to enable thefirst counter 18 and disable the second counter 20. As such, the secondcounter 20 holds the reference parameter SYNC_CNT at the referencenumber of six (6). The oscillator 14 is configured to be enabled by thedata pulse DP[6], which is the third payload time slot. The firstcounter 18 may be configured to reset the first count parameter BIT_CNTto an initial value of zero (0) in response to an activation edge AE[6]of the data pulse DP[6]. The first counter 18 is configured to count theoscillation pulses OP[6] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLKduring the time slot TS[6] as a result of the data pulse DP[6] (i.e., athird payload pulse), which has a 25% duty cycle.

More specifically, the first counter 18 is configured to increment thefirst count parameter BIT_CNT as a result of each of the oscillationpulses OP[6] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during the timeslot TS[6]. In this example, the first count parameter BIT_CNT is setequal to a number of four (4) as a result of the four oscillation pulsesOP[6] generated as a result of the data pulse DP[6] during the time slotTS[6]. As a result of the end of the data pulse DP[6], no more of theoscillation pulses OP[6] are generated, and the oscillation signalOVS_CLK is held in a deactive state for a remainder of the time slotTS[6]. Accordingly, the first count parameter BIT_CNT indicates a numberof four (4), which is how many of the oscillation pulses OP[6] weregenerated by the oscillator 14 during the time slot TS[6] (i.e., thethird payload time slot) as a result of the data pulse DP[6] (i.e., thethird payload pulse). The comparison circuit 22 then subtracts thereference parameter SYNC_CNT from the first count parameter BIT_CNT.Since four (4) minus six (6) is negative, the comparison circuit 22generates the data output 34 so that the data output 34 represents a bitvalue of 0. The third payload bit has thus been recovered in this caseto equal a bit value of 0. Note that in this embodiment, the data pulsesDP and oscillation pulses (referred to generally or generically aselements OP) are positive pulses. Other embodiments of the decoder 10may be provided to operate with the data pulses DP and/or theoscillation pulses OP being negative pulses. For example, in anotherembodiment, the data pulses DP are negative pulses, while theoscillation pulses OP are positive pulses.

Finally, the modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT is provided to equal thenumber of seven (7) during the time slot TS[7], which is the setup timeslot. The time slot TS[7] does not include a data pulse. Rather, theinput data signal SDATA is held in the activation state during theentire time slot TS[7]. The counter enabling circuitry 16 is configuredto deactivate the oscillator 14 so that the oscillator does not generatethe oscillation pulses OP when the modulo counter parameter MOD_CNT isequal to 7 during the time slot TS[7]. Thus, oscillation pulses OP arenot generated during the time slot TS[7]. The first counter 18 may beconfigured to reset the first count parameter BIT_CNT to an initialvalue of zero (0) in response to an activation edge AE[7] of input datasignal SDATA during the time slot TS[7]. Similarly, the second counter20 may be configured to reset the reference parameter SYNC_CNT to aninitial value of zero (0) in response to an activation edge AE[7] ofinput data signal SDATA during the time slot TS[7]. In this manner, thedecoder 10 is set up for the next data frame. The time slot TS[7] couldextend for any period of time until the next data frame is ready to becommunicated.

In the example described above in FIG. 2, the time slot D[0] has thesame temporal duration as the time slots D[1]-D[6]. However, in otherembodiments, the time slot D[0] (i.e., the calibration time slot) may begreater than the temporal duration of the time slots D[1]-D[6]. Forexample, the time slot D[0] may be four times as long as the temporalduration of the time slots D[1]-D[6]. Thus, in this case, the referencenumber may be equal to a quarter of the number of oscillation pulsesOP[0] that were generated by the oscillator 14 during the calibrationtime slot. The second counter 20 may be configured to divide thereference parameter SYNC_CNT by four to equal the reference number of aquarter of the number of the oscillation pulses OP[0] that weregenerated by the oscillator 14 during the time slot D[0] (i.e., thecalibration time slot).

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the oscillator 14 provided withinthe decoder 10 shown in FIG. 1. The oscillator 14 includes a ringoscillator 54, a flip-flop 56, and a flip-flop 58. The ring oscillator54 includes an OR gate 60, an AND gate 62, a resistor 64, a capacitor66, and an inverter gate 68. An inverter gate 70 is connected to theinverter gate 68 of the ring oscillator 54. The input data signal SDATAis received at the enabling terminal 26. The oscillator 14 provides anasynchronous turn on and a synchronous turn off. An asynchronous turn onis acceptable because the normal state of this oscillator 14 is off. Asynchronous turn off is used because data pulse edges on SDATA do nothave a guaranteed phase.

The flip-flops 56, 58 are coupled sequentially with one another suchthat the flip-flops 56, 58 are configured to receive the input datasignal SDATA and generate a delayed data signal B. More specifically,the flip-flop 56 includes a data terminal DA coupled to receive the datainput signal SDATA, an output terminal QA, and a clock terminal CA. Theflip-flop 58 includes a data terminal DB coupled to the output terminalQA, an output terminal QB, and a clock terminal CB. Flip-flop 56generates a delayed data signal A from the data input signal SDATA,which is received by the flip-flop 58 at the data terminal DB. Inresponse, the flip-flop 58 generates the delayed data signal B from theoutput terminal QB. In other embodiments, more flip-flops are providedin sequence with the flip-flops 56, 58 to provide an appropriate delay.The clock terminals CA, CB of the flip-flops 56, 58 are coupled to thering oscillator 54 such that each of the flip-flops 56, 58 is clocked bythe ring oscillator 54.

The OR gate 60 has an input terminal 72 coupled to receive the inputdata signal SDATA, an input terminal 74 coupled to the output terminalQB of the flip-flop 58, and an output terminal 76. The flip-flops 56, 58are thus coupled to provide the delayed data signal B to the inputterminal 74 of the OR gate 60. The OR gate 60 performs an OR operationon the input data signal SDATA and the delayed data signal B to generatean oscillator enable signal C at the output terminal 76.

The AND gate 62 has an input terminal 78 coupled to the output terminal76 so as to receive the oscillator enable signal C, an input terminal 80coupled to the ring oscillator 54, and an output terminal 82. The ANDgate 62 thus gates the ring oscillator 54 and provides a feedbackoscillator signal D from the output terminal 82. The resistor 64 and thecapacitor 66 are used to provide a time constant for the ring oscillator54. The feedback oscillator signal D is generated in accordance with thetime constant set by the resistor 64 and capacitor 66 respectively. Theinverter gate 68 has an input terminal 84 that receives the feedbackoscillator signal D. The inverter gate 68 is an initial stage of thering oscillator 54. The inverter gate 68 is configured to invert thefeedback oscillator signal D and generate an intermediate oscillatorsignal E from an output terminal 86. The intermediate oscillator signalE is fed back to the input terminal 80 of the AND gate 62 and isprovided to the clock terminals CA, CB to clock the flip-flops 56, 58.The AND gate 62 thus perform an AND operation on the intermediateoscillator signal E and the oscillator enable signal C to generate thefeedback oscillator signal D. The intermediate oscillator signal E isprovided to an input terminal 88 of the inverter gate 70. The invertergate 70 is a buffer of the ring oscillator 54. The inverter gate 70 isconfigured to generate the oscillator signal OVS_CLK from an outputterminal 90 of the inverter gate 70. The oscillator signal OVS_CLK isthen output from the output terminal 28.

Referring now to FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplarytiming diagram for the oscillator 14 shown in FIG. 3. The operation ofthe oscillator 14 is demonstrated for the data pulse DP defined by theinput data signal SDATA. Initially, when the input data signal SDATA islow, the capacitor 66 is discharged, and the feedback oscillator signalD is low while the intermediate oscillator signal E is high. At anactivation edge AE of the data pulse DP and throughout the data pulseDP, the input terminal 72 of the OR gate 60 rises, and thus theoscillator enable signal C is provided in an activation state.Eventually the capacitor 66 charges enough so that the feedbackoscillator signal D also is provided in an activation state. Inresponse, the intermediate oscillator signal E goes low. As such, thecapacitor 66 begins to discharge, and eventually the inverter gate 68provides the intermediate oscillator signal E high. The inverter gate 70then inverts the intermediate oscillator signal E to generate theoscillator signal OVS_CLK low. The process repeats so that, through theinverter gate 70, the ring oscillator 54 generates the oscillationpulses OP in the oscillation signal OVS_CLK. Note that any number ofadditional inverter gates may be provided in the ring oscillator 54 toprovide an odd number of inversions.

By utilizing the OR gate 60, the input data signal SDATA provides agated clock that activates and deactivates the ring oscillator 54.However, sampling errors can occur since the input data signal SDATA andthe oscillator signal OVS_CLK are not frequency locked. The flip-flops56, 58 synchronize the input data signal SDATA in accordance with theoscillator signal OVS_CLK and ensure that the oscillator 14 is cleanlydeactivated. If the oscillation pulses OP of the oscillator signalOVR_CLK were being provided by sampling the input data signal SDATA,there would be a potential for counter errors on the activation edge AEand the deactivation edge DE of the data pulse DP defined by of theinput data signal SDATA. The flip-flops 56, 58 hold the oscillatorenable signal C high for a time delay AD to ensure propersynchronization.

After the deactivation edge DE, the delayed data signal A is delayed bythe flip-flop 56, and the delayed data signal B has an additional delaydue to the flip-flop 58. This provides the oscillator enable signal C ina high state for an additional period AD after the deactivation edge DE.Otherwise, if the OR gate 60 were not provided and the input data signalSDATA were provided directly into the input terminal 78 of the AND gate62, a narrow glitch could occur in the feedback oscillator signal D.Also, in a worst case scenario without the OR gate, the activation edgeAE or the deactivation edge DE of the SDATA is provided during apositive edge of one of the oscillation pulses OP of the oscillationsignal OVR_CLK. Since noise can shift the activation edge AE or thedeactivation edge DE, this could cause a counter error. If both theactivation edge AE and the deactivation edge DE shift, counter errorsfrom 0-2 can result. The OR gate 60 and the flip-flops 56, 58 helpensure that the activation edge AE and the deactivation edge DE areappropriately aligned and that glitches do not occur in the oscillationsignal OVR_CLK. In this manner, an appropriate number of the oscillationpulses OP are provided for the data pulse DP.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a counter 92. The first counter 18and/or the second counter 20 shown in FIG. 1 may be provided inaccordance with the counter 92 shown in FIG. 5. The counter 92 includesa ripple counter 94 and a reset circuit 96. The ripple counter 94includes flip-flops (referred to generally or generically as elements FFand specifically as elements FF[0]-FF[4]). Each of the flip-flops FFincludes a data terminal (referred to generally or generically aselements D and specifically as elements D[0]-D[4]), a non-invertedoutput terminal (referred to generally or generically as elements Q andspecifically as elements Q[0]-Q[4]), an inverted output terminal(referred to generally or generically as elements Q′ and specifically aselements Q′[0]-Q′[4]), a clock terminal (referred to generally orgenerically as elements C and specifically as elements C[0]-C[4])), anda reset terminal (referred to generally or generically as elements R andspecifically as elements R[0]-R[4])).

More specifically, a flip-flop FF[0] includes a data terminal D[0], anon-inverted output terminal Q[0], an inverted output terminal Q′[0],and a reset terminal R[0]. The inverted output terminal Q′[0] isconnected to the data terminal D[0]. The reset terminal R[0] is coupledto the reset circuit 96. The clock terminal C[0] is connected to receivean inverted version of the oscillation signal OVS_CLK. A flip-flop FF[1]includes a data terminal D[1], a non-inverted output terminal Q[1], aninverted output terminal Q′[1], and a reset terminal R[1]. The invertedoutput terminal Q′[1] is connected to the data terminal D[1]. The resetterminal R[1] is coupled to the reset circuit 96. The clock terminalC[1] is connected to the non-inverted output terminal Q[0]. A flip-flopFF[2] includes a data terminal D[2], a non-inverted output terminalQ[2], an inverted output terminal Q′[2], and a reset terminal R[2]. Theinverted output terminal Q′[2] is connected to the data terminal D[2].The reset terminal R[2] is coupled to the reset circuit 96. The clockterminal C[2] is connected to the non-inverted output terminal Q[1]. Aflip-flop FF[3] includes a data terminal D[3], a non-inverted outputterminal Q[3], an inverted output terminal Q′[3], and a reset terminalR[3]. The inverted output terminal Q′[3] is connected to the dataterminal D[3]. The reset terminal R[3] is coupled to the reset circuit96. The clock terminal C[3] is connected to the non-inverted outputterminal Q[2]. Finally, a flip-flop FF[4] includes a data terminal D[4],a non-inverted output terminal Q[4], an inverted output terminal Q′[4],and a reset terminal R[4]. The inverted output terminal Q′[4] isconnected to the data terminal D[4]. The reset terminal R[4] is coupledto the reset circuit 96. The clock terminal C[4] is connected to thenon-inverted output terminal Q[3]. Each of the flip-flops FF stores abit of a count parameter C_CNT, which may be the reference parameterSYNC_CNT or the first count parameter BIT_CNT. The ripple counterarrangement of the flip-flops FF allows for the count parameter C_CNT tobe incremented for each the oscillation pulses defined by theoscillation signal OVR_CLK.

The reset circuit 96 is configured to generate a reset signal POR thatis received by the reset terminal R of each of the flip-flops FF toreset the ripple counter 94. In particular, the reset circuit 96provides power on reset. As shown in FIG. 5, the reset circuit 96includes a delay element 98 and an AND gate 100. The AND gate 100 has aninput terminal 102 operable to receive the input data signal SDATA. Theinput data signal SDATA is also received by the delay element 98 thatprovides a delayed data signal SDATA′, which is a delayed and invertedversion of the input data signal SDATA. The AND gate 100 is operable toreceive the delayed data signal SDATA′ at the input terminal 104. TheAND gate 100 also includes an output terminal 106. The AND gate 100 isconfigured to perform an AND operation on the input data signal SDATAand the delayed data signal SDATA′ to generate the reset signal POR.Thus, the reset signal POR is high only after the reset circuit 96 isinitially turned on by an activation edge of a data pulse and for atemporal period equal approximately to a propagation delay of the delayelement 98. Otherwise, the reset signal POR remains low. The propagationdelay of the delay element 98 is shorter than an oscillation period ofthe oscillation pulses defined by the oscillation signal OVS_CLK. Thisis because the negative edge of the oscillation pulses defined by theoscillation signal OVS_CLK is used. Once the input data signal SDATAgoes low, the oscillation signal OVS_CLK is provided in a deactivationstate, so the counter 92 will hold its last value of the count parameterC_CNT.

FIG. 6 illustrates a timing diagram for the counter 92 shown in FIG. 5.In this embodiment, the delayed input data signal SDATA′ is shown, whichis inverted with respect to the input data signal SDATA. The resetsignal POR is shown for different phases of the decoder 10, including anoff state, an on state, a calibration time slot CAL that provides acalibration pulse CP, a data pulse D[I0] that represents a bit value of0 during a time slot TS[I0], and a data pulse D[I1] that represents abit value of 1 during a time slot TS[I1]. As shown in FIG. 6, the resetsignal POR has a reset pulse RP, which is provided initially whentransitioning from the off state and the on state.

As illustrated by the timing diagram in FIG. 6, the counter 92 shown inFIG. 5 uses active high signaling. Note that since the signalingpolarity is inverted in the delayed data signal SDATA′, the oscillationsignal OVS_CLK shown in FIG. 5 triggers the counter 92 when delayed datasignal SDATA′ is low. With reference to FIG. 6, the oscillation signalOVS_CLK will not be provided when the decoder 10 is in the off state orin the on state. It will only run during the calibration time slot CAL,the time slot TS[I0] and the time slot [I1].

As shown by the delayed data signal SDATA′, when the input data signalSDATA pin is held low for a long period of time during the off state, itessentially starves the decoder 10 of power and the decoder turns off.To wake up the slave in the on state, the data input signal SDATA andthe delayed input signal SDATA simply go high. This allows for thedecoder 10 to be turned on in the on state and triggers the reset pulseRP of the reset signal POR when reaching a nominal voltage threshold.From there, the delayed data signal SDATA′ has an opposite polarity ofthe data input signal SDATA shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary bus interface system 109 having a slavebus controller 108, a master bus controller 110, and the bus line 12,where the slave bus controller 108 derives power from the input datasignal SDATA. The master bus controller 110 is configured to generatethe input data signal SDATA in accordance with the PWM bus protocoldescribed above. The master bus controller 110 is coupled to the busline 12 to transmit the input data signal SDATA along the bus line 12 tothe slave bus controller 108. The slave bus controller 108 includes thedecoder 10 described above with respect to FIG. 1. The slave buscontroller 108 is also coupled to the bus line 12 to receive the inputdata signal SDATA from the master bus controller 110. In this manner,the slave bus controller 108 can recover bits from the input data signalSDATA using the decoder 10 as described above with respect to FIGS. 1and 2. The slave bus controller 108 also includes power conversioncircuitry 112 configured to also receive the input data signal SDATA andconvert the input data signal SDATA into a supply voltage VS. Morespecifically, the supply voltage VS is used to power the decoder 10 inthe slave bus controller 108 along with other components. Note that inthis embodiment of the bus interface system 109, no other bus line isprovided to couple the master bus controller 110 to the slave buscontroller 108. Thus, only the bus line 12 is provided to couple themaster bus controller 110 to the slave bus controller 108.

While the master bus controller 110 may use the system clock signal SCLKto synchronize the input data signal SDATA, the system clock signal SCLKdoes not have to be provided to the slave bus controller 108 since themaster bus controller 110 generates the input data signal SDATA inaccordance with the PWM bus protocol. As a result, the calibration pulseof the data frame is used by the decoder 10 in the slave bus controller108 to synchronize the data frames and provide calibration as explainedwith respect to FIGS. 1 and 2 above. Thus, a clock bus line does nothave to be provided between the master bus controller 110 and the slavebus controller 108 since the slave bus controller 108 can besynchronized without the system clock signal SCLK. Furthermore, sincethe power conversion circuitry 112 converts the input data signal SDATAinto the supply voltage VS, a power bus line does not have to beprovided in order to provide a supply voltage to the slave buscontroller 108. Instead, the slave bus controller 108 generates thesupply voltage VS from the input data signal SDATA itself. Thus, noother bus line besides the bus line 12 is provided by the bus interfacesystem 109 to couple the master bus controller 110 to the slave buscontroller 108.

In this embodiment, the power conversion circuitry 112 includes a diode114 and a resistor 116 coupled in parallel between a node 118 and a node120. Both the diode 114 and the resistor 116 receive the input datasignal SDATA from the node 118. A capacitor 122 is coupled in shunt tothe node 120. The capacitor 122 is charged by the input data signalSDATA to generate the supply voltage VS.

The power conversion circuitry 112 isolates the bus line 12 from thesupply voltage VS provided to power the slave bus controller 108. Thediode 114 allows for the input data signal SDATA to be pulled lowwithout discharging the supply voltage VS. The resistor 116 does cause aslight pull down of the supply voltage VS. The diode 114 allows forfaster charging of the capacitor 122. When the master bus controller 110pulls the input data signal SDATA low to turn off the slave buscontroller 108, the resistor 116 discharges the capacitor 122 to turnoff the supply voltage VS and the slave bus controller 108.

FIG. 8 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the bus interfacesystem 109 that includes exemplary embodiments of the slave buscontroller 108 and the master bus controller 110. The master buscontroller 110 is coupled to the bus line 12 to provide the input datasignal SDATA and transmit the input data signal SDATA along the bus line12 to the slave bus controller 108. The slave bus controller 108includes the decoder 10 described above with respect to FIG. 1 and thepower conversion circuitry 112 described above with respect to FIG. 7that generates the supply voltage VS that powers the decoder 10. Theslave bus controller 108 is also coupled to the bus line 12 to receivethe input data signal SDATA from the master bus controller 110. In thisembodiment, the master bus controller 110 is a bridge bus controllerthat translates a data frame formatted in accordance with a first busprotocol into the data pulses DP (shown in FIG. 2) defined by the inputdata signal SDATA during the time slots TS (shown in FIG. 2) of the dataframe formatted in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. Morespecifically, in this embodiment, the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to translate the payload and the bus address represented by adata frame formatted in accordance with a Mobile Industry ProcessorInterface (MIPI) bus protocol and translate the payload and the busaddress represented by the second data frame into the data pulses DP(shown in FIG. 2) defined by the input data signal SDATA during the timeslots TS (shown in FIG. 2) of the data frame formatted in accordancewith the PWM bus protocol.

The master bus controller 110 shown in FIG. 8 includes a MIPI RadioFrequency Front End (RFFE) state machine 124, a data modulator 126, anoscillator calibration circuit 128, a ring oscillator 130, and abidirectional buffer 132. In this embodiment, the oscillator calibrationcircuit 128 is provided in the data modulator 126. The MIPI RFFE statemachine 124 is configured to receive a first bus input, which in thisexample is a data input signal MDATA formatted in accordance with theMIPI bus protocol. The data input signal MDATA is received on a bus line134. The data input signal MDATA represents a data frame that includes abus address and a payload formatted in accordance with the MIPI busprotocol. To synchronize the master bus controller 110, the master buscontroller 110 also receives the system clock signal SCLK on a bus line136. Furthermore, the master bus controller 110 receives a supplyvoltage VIO along a bus line 138. The MIPI RFFE state machine isconfigured to extract the bus address and the payload from the dataframe represented using the input data signal MDATA and generate adigital output 140 that transfers the bus address and the payload to thedata modulator 126. The data modulator 126 is configured to obtain thebus address and payload extracted from the data input signal MDATA andprovide the bus address and payload to a data frame formatted inaccordance with the PWM bus protocol. The data modulator 126 issynchronized using the ring oscillator 130, which in this example is adigitally controlled oscillator (DCO). The ring oscillator 130 isconfigured to generate an oscillator signal 142. The ring oscillator 130is relatively cheap. The oscillator calibration circuit is configured tocalibrate the ring oscillator 130 based on the system clock signal SCLK.In this embodiment, the MIPI RFFE state machine 124 is configured togenerate a calibration clock signal SCLK′ by dividing down the systemclock signal SCLK. The oscillator calibration circuit 128 is operable toreceive the calibration clock signal SCLK′ and generate a control output144 that synchronizes the oscillator signal 142 in accordance with thecalibration clock signal SCLK′.

The data modulator 126 is operable to receive the oscillator signal 142and is configured to generate the input data signal SDATA such that thedata pulses DP (shown in FIG. 2) of the input data signal SDATA aresynchronized by the oscillator signal 142. Since the oscillator signal142 was synchronized based on the system clock signal SCLK (e.g., inthis embodiment, in accordance with the calibration clock signal SCLK′generated from the system clock signal SCLK), the timing accuracy of theoscillator signal 142 is maintained. As shown in FIG. 8, thebidirectional buffer 132 has an input terminal 146 that receives theSDATA signal and an output terminal 148 that provides the input datasignal SDATA to the bus line 12. The output terminal 148 is coupled tothe bus line 12, which is connected to the slave bus controller 108.However, the bidirectional buffer 132 also includes an input terminal150 that is operable to receive an enable signal MEN. When the enablesignal MEN is in an activated state, the bidirectional buffer 132 isconfigured to transmit the input data signal SDATA along the bus line12. Otherwise, when the enable signal MEN is in a deactivation state,the bidirectional buffer 132 does not transmit the input data signalSDATA along the bus line 12 but rather allows the master bus controller110 to receive data signals from slave controllers connected to the busline 12. The enabling signal MEN may be generated by the data modulator126 and may activate the bidirectional buffer 132 when the slave buscontroller 108 (shown in FIG. 7) is not pulling down the bus line 12.Since the slave bus controller 108 is synchronized with the data pulseDP[0] (i.e., the calibration pulse), and the power conversion circuitry112 converts the input data signal SDATA into the supply voltage VS, themaster bus controller 110 and the slave bus controller 108 are onlyconnected by the bus line 12. No other bus lines are needed.

Referring now to FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, FIG. 9 illustrates a timing diagramfor the bus interface system 109 shown in FIG. 8 during an exemplarydata frame provided in accordance to another one wire PWM bus protocol.FIG. 9 includes an exemplary illustration of the input data signalSDATA, the system clock signal SCLK, the oscillation signal OVS_CLK, thereference parameter SYNC_CNT, and the first count parameter BIT_CNT asprovided throughout the data frame. In this embodiment, the PWM busprotocol is provided so that the data pulses DP[1]-DP[3] represents anyone of a set of logical values. More specifically, the data pulsesDP[1]-DP[3] can represent any one of a set of three logical symbols,such as a logical symbol “0,” a logical symbol “1,” and a logical symbol“2.” The master bus controller 110 is configured to generate the inputdata signal SDATA, which is synchronized based on the system clocksignal SCLK, as described above. Again, in this embodiment, the datapulse DP[0] is the calibration pulse provided during the time slotTS[0], which is the calibration time slot. In this example, the datapulse DP[0] is provided by the master bus controller 110 for two clockperiods of the system clock signal SCLK. The master bus controller 110generates the data pulses DP[1]-DP[3] with logical symbols representinga bus address and a payload using the ring oscillator 130, as explainedabove with respect to FIG. 8.

With respect to the slave bus controller 108, the oscillator 14 in thedecoder 10 is configured to be enabled by the data pulse DP[0], which isthe calibration pulse provided during the calibration time slot (i.e.,TS[0]). The second counter 20 may be configured to reset the referenceparameter SYNC_CNT to an initial value of zero (0) in response to anactivation edge AE[0] of the data pulse DP[0]. The second counter 20 isconfigured to count the oscillation pulses OP[0] defined by theoscillation signal OVR_CLK during the time slot TS[0] as a result of thedata pulse DP[0] (the calibration pulse). More specifically, the secondcounter 20 is configured to increment the reference parameter SYNC_CNTas a result of each of the oscillation pulses OP[0] defined by theoscillation signal OVR_CLK during the time slot TS[0]. In this example,the reference parameter SYNC_CNT is set equal to a reference number ofsix (6) as a result of the six oscillation pulses OP[0] generated as aresult of the data pulse DP[0] during the time slot TS[0]. As a resultof the end of the data pulse DP[0], no more of the oscillation pulsesOP[0] are generated, and the oscillation signal OVS_CLK is held in adeactive state for a remainder of the time slot TS[0]. Accordingly, thereference parameter SYNC_CNT indicates the reference number of six (6),which is how many of the oscillation pulses OP[0] were generated by theoscillator 14 during the time slot TS[0] (i.e., the calibration timeslot) as a result of the data pulse DP[0] (i.e., the calibration pulse).

With respect to the second time slot TS[1], the counter enablingcircuitry 16 is configured to enable the first counter 18 and disablethe second counter 20. As such, the second counter 20 holds thereference parameter SYNC_CNT at the reference number of six (6). Theoscillator 14 is configured to be enabled by the data pulse DP[1]. Thefirst counter 18 may be configured to reset the first count parameterBIT_CNT to an initial value of zero (0) in response to an activationedge AE[1] of the data pulse DP[1]. The first counter 18 is configuredto count the oscillation pulses OP[1] defined by the oscillation signalOVR_CLK during the time slot TS[1] as a result of the data pulse DP[1],which has a 25% duty cycle.

More specifically, the first counter 18 is configured to increment thefirst count parameter BIT_CNT as a result of each of the oscillationpulses OP[1] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during the timeslot TS[1]. In this example, the first count parameter BIT_CNT is setequal to a number of four (4) as a result of the four oscillation pulsesOP[1] generated as a result of the data pulse DP[1] during the time slotTS[1]. As a result of the end of the data pulse DP[1], no more of theoscillation pulses OP[1] are generated and the oscillation signalOVS_CLK is held in a deactive state for a remainder of the time slotTS[1]. Accordingly, the first count parameter BIT_CNT indicates a numberof four (4), which is how many of the oscillation pulses OP[1] weregenerated by the oscillator 14 during the time slot TS[1] as a result ofthe data pulse DP[1]. The comparison circuit 22 then subtracts thereference parameter SYNC_CNT from the first count parameter BIT_CNT.Since four (4) minus six (6) is negative, the comparison circuit 22generates the data output 34 so that the data output 34 represents alogical symbol “0.”

With respect to the time slot TS[2], the counter enabling circuitry 16is configured to enable the first counter 18 and disable the secondcounter 20. As such, the second counter 20 holds the reference parameterSYNC_CNT at the reference number of six (6). The oscillator 14 isconfigured to be enabled by the data pulse DP[2]. The first counter 18may be configured to reset the first count parameter BIT_CNT to aninitial value of zero (0) in response to an activation edge AE[2] of thedata pulse DP[2]. The first counter 18 is configured to count theoscillation pulses OP[2] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLKduring the time slot TS[2] as a result of the data pulse DP[2], whichhas a 50% duty cycle.

More specifically, the first counter 18 is configured to increment thefirst count parameter BIT_CNT as a result of each of the oscillationpulses OP[2] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during the timeslot TS[2]. In this example, the first count parameter BIT_CNT is setequal to a number of six (6) as a result of the six oscillation pulsesOP[2] generated as a result of the data pulse DP[2] during the time slotTS[2]. As a result of the end of the data pulse DP[2], no more of theoscillation pulses OP[2] are generated, and the oscillation signalOVS_CLK is held in a deactive state for a remainder of the time slotTS[2]. Accordingly, the first count parameter BIT_CNT indicates a numberof six (6), which is how many of the oscillation pulses OP[2] weregenerated by the oscillator 14 during the time slot TS[2] (i.e., thefirst address time slot) as a result of the data pulse DP[2]. Thecomparison circuit 22 then subtracts the reference parameter SYNC_CNTfrom the first count parameter BIT_CNT. Since six (6) minus six (6) iszero, the comparison circuit 22 generates the data output 34 so that thedata output 34 represents a logical symbol of “1.”

With respect to the time slot TS[3], the counter enabling circuitry 16is configured to enable the first counter 18 and disable the secondcounter 20. As such, the second counter 20 holds the reference parameterSYNC_CNT at the reference number of six (6). The oscillator 14 isconfigured to be enabled by the data pulse DP[3]. The first counter 18may be configured to reset the first count parameter BIT_CNT to aninitial value of zero (0) in response to an activation edge AE[3] of thedata pulse DP[3]. The first counter 18 is configured to count theoscillation pulses OP[3] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLKduring the time slot TS[3] as a result of the data pulse DP[3] which hasa 75% duty cycle.

More specifically, the first counter 18 is configured to increment thefirst count parameter BIT_CNT as a result of each of the oscillationpulses OP[3] defined by the oscillation signal OVR_CLK during the timeslot TS[3]. In this example, the first count parameter BIT_CNT is setequal to a number of nine (9) as a result of the nine oscillation pulsesOP[3] generated as a result of the data pulse DP[3] during the time slotTS[3]. As a result of the end of the data pulse DP[3], no more of theoscillation pulses OP[3] are generated, and the oscillation signalOVS_CLK is held in a deactive state for a remainder of the time slotTS[3]. Accordingly, the first count parameter BIT_CNT indicates a numberof nine (9), which is how many of the oscillation pulses OP[3] weregenerated by the oscillator 14 during the time slot TS[3] as a result ofthe data pulse DP[3]. The comparison circuit 22 then subtracts thereference parameter SYNC_CNT from the first count parameter BIT_CNT.Since nine (9) minus six (6) is positive, the comparison circuit 22generates the data output 34 so that the data output 34 represents alogical symbol of “2.”

FIG. 10 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the bus interfacesystem 109, which is provided in a radio frequency (RF) front end module152. The bus interface system 109 includes an embodiment of the masterbus controller 110, an embodiment of the slave bus controller 108, andanother slave bus controller 108′. The slave bus controller 108′ iscoupled to the bus line 12 such that the slave bus controller 108 andthe slave bus controller 108′ are coupled in a daisy chain along the busline 12. In this manner, the slave bus controller 108′ also receives theinput data signal SDATA from the master bus controller 110. In thisembodiment, the slave bus controller 108 includes a memory device 154that stores information received on the bus line 12 and can be used towrite information on the bus line 12. A readback circuit 156 isconfigured to control a pull down transistor 158 in order to write bitsonto the bus line 12. The slave bus controller 108 includes the decoder10, which was described with respect to FIG. 1.

In addition, the slave bus controller 108 also includes anotherembodiment of the power conversion circuitry 112. In this embodiment,the power conversion circuitry includes shunt coupled capacitors C1, C2,C3, C4, C5, series connected resistors R1, R2, R3, a diode connectedtransistor DCT, a charge pump CP1, and a charge pump CP2. The shuntcoupled capacitors C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, series connected resistors R1,R2, R3, and series connected transistors provide the appropriate RCconstant to convert the input data signal SDATA into the supply voltageVS and a supply voltage VR. In this embodiment, the charge pump CP1 is apositive charge pump that generates the supply voltage at approximately+2.5V. The charge pump CP2 is a negative charge pump that generates thesupply voltage VR at approximately −2.5V. The supply voltage VS and thesupply voltage VR are provided to power the decoder 10 and readbackcircuit 156 of the slave bus controller 108.

In this embodiment, the slave bus controller 108′ is identical to theslave bus controller 108. Thus, a decoder 10′, a memory device 154′, areadback circuit 156′ a pull down transistor 158′, a power conversioncircuitry 112′, shunt coupled capacitors C1′, C2′, C3′, C4′, C5′, seriesconnected resistors R1′, R2′, R3′, a diode connected transistor DCT′, acharge pump CP1′, and a charge pump CP2′ of the slave bus controller108′ are identical to the decoder 10, the memory device 154, thereadback circuit 156, the pull down transistor 158, the power conversioncircuitry 112, the shunt coupled capacitors C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, theseries connected resistors R1, R2, R3, the diode connected transistorDCT, the charge pump CP1, and the charge pump CP2, respectively of theslave bus controller 108.

The master bus controller 110 is formed as an integrated circuit (IC)within an IC package 164. Similarly, the slave bus controller 108 isformed as an IC within an IC package 166 and the slave bus controller108′ is formed as an IC with an IC package 168. The IC packages 164,166, 168 connect the master bus controller 110 and the slave buscontroller 108, 108′ in a daisy chain along the bus line 12. Thisarrangement thus reduces interconnections, and thus the slave buscontrollers 108, 108′ are provided with other circuitry of the RF frontend module. More specifically, the IC package 166 includes a tuner 170connected to an antenna ANT along an RF line RFL. The IC package 168also includes a tuner 172 connected to the antenna ANT along the RF lineRFL. In this example, the master bus controller 110 may be includedwithin a cellular baseband chipset in a dedicated phone compartment andthe slave bus controllers 108, 108′ reside close to the antenna ANT.Reducing interconnections helps reduce costs and increase reliability.

FIG. 11 illustrates another exemplary embodiment of the bus interfacesystem 109, which is provided in another embodiment of the RF front endmodule 152. The master bus controller 110, the slave bus controller 108,and the slave bus controller 108′ are the same as the embodiments shownin FIG. 10 except that, in this embodiment, the slave bus controller 108and the slave bus controller 108′ are connected by a bus line 12′.Furthermore, a diplexer 180 is provided to deal with transmit injectiononto the bus line 12 and the bus line 12′ resulting from a transmitsignal TRS amplified by the power amplifier PA in the RF front endmodule 152. The RF transmit signal TRS propagates along the RF line RFL.The diplexer 180 includes a first RF filter 182 and a second RF filter184. The master bus controller 110 includes the first RF filter 182. Theslave bus controller 108 includes the second RF filter 184.

The RF transmit signal TRS is diplexed onto the wire in the master buscontroller 110 and to the wire in the slave bus controller 108. As such,the RF transmit signal TRS needs to be passed with as little loss andnoise as possible. The first RF filter 182 and the second RF filter 184are configured to block bus noise produced by the master bus controller110, the slave bus controller 108, and the slave bus controller 108′from entering the RF line RFL and the RF transmit signal TRS. The busline 12 is connected between the first RF filter 182 and the second RFfilter 184. The bus line 12′ is connected between the pull downtransistor 158 and resistor R1 in the slave bus controller 108 and isconnected between the pull down transistor 158′ and resistor R1′ in theslave bus controller 108′.

The first RF filter 182 includes capacitors CA, CB, variable capacitivestructure CC, CD, inductor IA, and inductor IB. The capacitor CA iscoupled in series to provide matching for the transmit signal TRS fromthe power amplifier PA. The variable capacitive structure CC and theinductor IA are series coupled to form a series resonator connected inshunt. The capacitor CB, variable capacitive structure CC, and theinductor IA form a high pass filter that blocks energy from thecommunications bus activity from getting back to RF sections. Thevariable capacitive structure CD and the inductor IB are coupled inseries to form another series resonator. The variable capacitivestructure CD and the inductor IB form a low pass filter that blocks RFenergy from getting to the data modulator 126. This low pass filterreduces RF levels at the output terminal 148 of the bidirectional buffer132 from entering the master bus controller 110. The variable capacitivestructures CC and CD may each be a programmable array of capacitors. Anyother suitable variable capacitive structure may also be used such asvaractors. In this manner, the first RF filter 182 can be tuned.

The second RF filter 184 includes capacitors CA′, CB′, variablecapacitive structure CC′, CD′, inductor IA′, and inductor IB′. The busline 12 is connected to first RF filter 182 between the capacitor CB andthe inductor IB and is connected to the second RF filter 184 between thecapacitor CB′ and the inductor IB′. The capacitor CA′ is coupled inseries to provide matching to the RF line RFL. The variable capacitivestructure CC′ and the inductor IA′ are series coupled to form a seriesresonator connected in shunt. The capacitor CB′, variable capacitivestructure CC′, and the inductor IA′ form a high pass filter that blocksenergy from the communications bus activity from getting back to RFsections. The variable capacitive structure CD′ and the inductor IB′ arecoupled in series to form another series resonator. The series resonatorformed by the variable capacitive structure CD′ and the inductor IB′ areconnected in series to the other components of the slave bus controller108. The variable capacitive structure CD′ and the inductor IB′ form alow pass filter that blocks RF energy from getting to the slave buscontroller 108 and the slave bus controller 108′ through the bus line12′. The variable capacitive structures CC′ and CD′ may each be aprogrammable array of capacitors. Any other suitable variable capacitivestructure may also be used such as varactors. In this manner, the secondRF filter 184 can be tuned. The diplexer 180 may be tuned to have anelliptical response (Cauer characteristic response) such that the firstRF filter 182 and the second RF filter 184 can be tuned for optimalselectivity at a signal frequency of the RF transit signal TRS.

FIG. 12 illustrates an embodiment of the bus interface system 109 withan embodiment of the master bus controller 110 formed on the IC package164 and an embodiment of the slave bus controller 108 formed on the ICpackage 166. The master bus controller 110 shown in FIG. 12 includes theMIPI RFFE state machine 124 described above with respect to FIGS. 8, 10,and 11 in order to decode information encoded in the input data signalMDATA by the MIPI bus controller into data pulses formatted inaccordance with the PWM bus protocol for transmission along the bus line12, as explained above. Since the MIPI bus may be faster than the datarate provided by the bus interface system 109, a First In First Out(FIFO) memory buffer 200 is provided to store data commands (referred togenerically as elements COM and specifically as data command COM0 orread command COM0, data command COM1 or write command COM1, data commandCOM2 or group write command COM2, data command COM3 or read commandCOM3, and data command COMN or write command COMN). Each of the datacommands COM may be stored as bits within the FIFO memory buffer 200.

Each of the data commands COM includes a command field (referred togenerically as elements CB and specifically as elements “CB0-CBN”). Eachof the command fields CB may include a set of transactional bitsdescribing a requested bus operation of the corresponding data commandCOM. For example, each of the command fields CB may include a commandidentifier subfield, a slave identifier subfield, and an addresssubfield. The command identifier subfield indicates a particular type ofbus operation being requested by the data command COM. For example, thedifferent types of read commands or write commands can be identified bythe command identifier subfield of the command field CB. The slaveidentifier subfield identifies a slave bus controller (e.g., the slavebus controller 108) or slave bus controllers that are to implement thebus operation identified by the command identifier subfield. The memoryaddress subfield identifies a memory address in a memory device (e.g.,the memory device 154) of the slave bus controller (e.g. slave buscontroller 108) relevant to the bus operation. The command fields CB mayor may not include other transactional fields depending on the types ofdata commands COM that are to be implemented by an application of thebus interface system 109.

The data command COM0 stored in the FIFO memory buffer 200 is a readcommand that is provided as a command field CB0. The command field CB0is a set of transactional data bits that describe the read command COM0.The data command COM1 stored in the FIFO memory buffer 200 is anindividual write command. The data command COM1 includes the commandfield CB1, which is a set of transactional data bits for the individualwrite command. The data command COM1 in the FIFO memory buffer 200 alsoincludes the payload segment MPB1, which is a set of payload bits forthe individual write command. For the write command COM1, one of theslave bus controllers (e.g., the slave bus controller 108) in the businterface system is to receive a copy of the payload segment MPB1. Thedata command COM2 in the FIFO memory buffer 200 is a group writecommand. The data command COM2 includes the command field CB2, which isa set of transactional data bits for the group write command. The datacommand COM2 in the FIFO memory buffer 200 also includes a payloadsegment MPB2, which is a set of payload bits for the group writecommand. For the group write command, more than one of the slave buscontrollers (e.g., the slave bus controller 108) in the bus interfacesystem 109 is to receive a copy of the payload segment MPB2.

The group write commands may be broadcast write commands or subgroupwrite commands. The data command COM3 in the FIFO memory buffer 200 isanother read command that is provided as the command field CB3. The datacommand COMN in the FIFO memory buffer 200 is presumed to be anotherindividual write command. The command field CBN includes a set oftransactional bits for another write command. The read commands COM0 andCOM3 will be referred to generically as read commands COMR. The writecommands COM1 and COMN will be referred to generically as write commandsCOMW.

Each of the data commands COM1, COM2, and COMN include the payloadsegments MPB1, MPB2, MPBN (referred to generically as elements “MPB”),each including payload bits for the write commands COMW. To implementeach of the write commands COMW, the master bus controller 110 isrequesting that an individual slave bus controller (e.g., the slave buscontroller 108) write the payload segment MPB to its memory device(e.g., the memory device 154). On the other hand, to implement each ofthe read commands COMR, the master bus controller 110 is requesting thata slave bus controller (e.g., the slave bus controller 108) provide adata segment from its memory device (e.g., the memory device 154) to themaster bus controller 110. As such, the read commands COMR do notinclude the payload segment MPB. Since the read commands COMR do notinclude payload segments MPB, the command field CB of the read commandCOMR may be the entire read command. In this embodiment, the readcommand COM0 is simply made up of the command field CB0. Similarly, theread command COM3 is simply made up of the command field CB3.

The group write command COM2 may be a broadcast write command requestingthat all of the slave bus controllers in the bus interface system 109write the payload segment MPB2 in each of its memory devices. Also, thegroup write command COM2 may be a subgroup write command requesting thata proper subset of the slave bus controllers write the payload segmentMPB2 in each of its memory devices.

With respect to the payload segments MPB of the write commands COMW andthe data command COM2, the payload bits of the payload segment MPB mayhave been decoded by the MIPI RFFE state machine 124 from the input datasignal MDATA provided by the bus line 12, as explained above withrespect to FIG. 8. The master bus controller 110 also includes memorydevice 202 configured to store master data of the master bus controller110. Accordingly, the payload segment MPB of the write commands COMW,COM2 may also be provided from the memory device 202 of the master buscontroller 110 for transmission by the data modulator 126 to the slavebus controller 108 along the bus line 12.

With respect to the master bus controller 110, the data modulator 126 isconfigured to generate data pulses in the input data signal SDATArepresenting the data commands COM in accordance with a PWM bus protocolas explained above. These data pulses are organized into data framesthat are described in further in detail below. It should be notedfurthermore that the data modulator 126 may also be configured to startthe data frames with a sequence of data pulses provided in accordancewith a start of sequence (SOS) pulse pattern, as described inconcurrently filed related U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/659,292,entitled “START OF SEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS,” herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In FIG. 12, the data modulator 126 includes the oscillator calibrationcircuit 128 (described above) and an error coding circuit ECCM. Theerror coding circuit ECCM is explained in further detail below. Theslave bus controller 108 is coupled to the bus line 12 and thus receivesthe input data signal SDATA. In this embodiment, no other bus line isprovided in the bus interface system 109 to connect the master buscontroller 110 and the slave bus controller 108.

As shown in FIG. 12, the master bus controller 110 further includes adata demodulator 204 that is coupled to the bus line 12. The datademodulator 204 may receive an input data signal RDATA with data pulsesformatted in accordance to the PWM bus protocol along the bus line 12from the slave bus controller 108. With the input data signal RDATA, theslave bus controller 108 can send a data segment to the master buscontroller 110 from the memory device 154 to implement the read commandCOMR. The data demodulator 204 of the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to decode the data pulses provided within the input datasignal RDATA from the slave bus controller 108 in accordance with thePWM bus protocol. The data demodulator 204 of the master bus controller110 includes payload registers 206. The payload registers 206 areconfigured to store data bits decoded as a result of the data pulses inthe input data signal RDATA within payload registers 206 as explained infurther detail below. The data demodulator 204 also includes an errordetection circuit EDCM configured to check for transmission errors inthe data bits stored in the payload registers 206. The function of theerror detection circuit EDCM is explained in further detail below.

An embodiment of the slave bus controller 108 is also shown in FIG. 12and formed in the IC package 166. The slave bus controller 108 includesa data demodulator 208, a data modulator 210, and the power conversioncircuitry 112. The power conversion circuitry 112 may be provided inaccordance with any of the embodiments described above. The powerconversion circuitry 112 may also be provided as described inconcurrently filed related U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/659,371,entitled “POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR A BUS INTERFACE SYSTEM,” herebyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

With regards to the data demodulator 208, the data demodulator 208 ofthe slave bus controller 108 includes the decoder 10. The decoder 10 isconfigured to decode the data pulses of the input data signal SDATA fromthe master bus controller 110 in accordance with the PWM bus protocol asdescribed above. It should be noted furthermore that the datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 and the decoder 10 mayalso be configured to recognize a sequence of data pulses within theinput data signal SDATA provided in accordance with the SOS pulsepattern at the beginning of a data frame, as described in concurrentlyfiled related U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/659,292 entitled“START OF SEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.” Furthermore, the decoder10 can also be calibrated as described in concurrently filed relatedU.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/659,292 entitled “START OF SEQUENCEDETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.”

As shown in FIG. 12, the data demodulator 208 of the slave buscontroller 108 includes data frame registers 212 configured to receivethe memory input signal 38 from the decoder 10. In this manner, the dataframe registers 212 store the data bits decoded by the decoder 10 asresult of the data pulses within the input data signal SDATA from themaster bus controller 110. The data demodulator 208 includes an errordetection circuit EDCS, which is explained in further detail below.

As shown in FIG. 12, the memory device 154 is configured to store slavedata 214. The slave data 214 includes data segments (referred togenerically as elements “DW” and specifically as elements “DW1-DWM”).The memory device 154 is configured to assign memory addresses tolocations of the data segments DW1-DWM within the slave data 214. Thus,each of the data segments is located within the slave data 214 at one ofthe memory addresses.

The slave bus controller 108 further includes a data modulator 210. Thedata modulator 210 is operably associated with the memory device 154 ofthe slave bus controller 108. The data modulator 210 of the slave buscontroller 108 is configured to generate the input data signal RDATAalong the bus line 12 in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. Forexample, to implement one of the read commands COMR, the data modulator210 of the slave bus controller 108 may generate data pulses along thebus line 12 within the input data signal RDATA in accordance with thePWM bus protocol. The data pulses are transmitted by the slave buscontroller 108 to the master bus controller 110 along the bus line 12.The data pulses may represent the data segment DW requested by the readcommands COMR. It should be noted that the input data signal SDATA isnot being provided by the master bus controller 110 during thetransmission of the input data signal RDATA by the slave bus controller108.

Referring again to the master bus controller 110 shown in FIG. 12, themaster bus controller 110 is configured to generate and store slave dataimages (referred to generically as elements 216 and specifically aselements 216W-216Z). The slave data images 216 approximately replicateslave data stored in memory devices of slave bus controllers coupledalong the bus line 12. For example, the slave data image 216W is anapproximate replica of the slave data 214 stored in the memory device154 of the slave bus controller 108. Of course, the slave data images216 may not be exact replicas. Errors in copying may occur regardless oferror checking, which may result in slight differences. Not all updatesto slave data (e.g., the slave data 214) may be provided to update theslave data images 216 and in any case cannot be provided instantaneouslyto the slave data images 216 in the memory device 202 of the master buscontroller 110. Acceptable differences between the slave data images 216and slave data 214 should be determined in accordance with acceptableerror tolerances implicitly or explicitly defined by technical standardsrelevant to a particular application of the bus interface system 109.

The memory device 202 of the master bus controller 110 is configured sothat memory addresses of each of the slave data images 216 correspond tomemory addresses storing corresponding slave data in memory devices ofthe slave bus controllers. For example, the memory device 202 of themaster bus controller 110 is configured so that memory addresses storingthe slave data image 216W correspond to the memory addresses storing theslave data 214 in the memory device 154 of the slave bus controller 108.In this manner, the master bus controller 110 can simply read the slavedata images 216 rather than send read command(s) every time that itneeds to perform operations based on the slave data 214. Rather, themaster bus controller 110 can perform the operation by simply looking updata segments within the slave data image 216W with memory addressescorresponding to the memory addresses of the memory device 154 with therelevant data segments DW. In one embodiment, the master bus controller110 may request transmission of slave data from the slave buscontrollers at start up in order to generate the slave data images 216.For instance, the master bus controller 110 may request transmission ofslave data 214 from the slave bus controller 108 at start up in order togenerate the slave data images 216.

Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 13, FIG. 13 illustrates one embodiment ofa read data frame 218 utilized by the bus interface system 109 shown inFIG. 12 to implement one of the read commands COMR. The read data frame218 describes the organization of data pulses generated along the busline 12 with the input data signal SDATA from the master bus controller110 and with an input data signal (e.g., the input data signal RDATA)from one of the slave bus controllers in order to implement one of theread commands COMR. To implement a read bus operation described by theread command COMR, the data modulator 126 is configured to receive oneof the read commands COMR from the FIFO memory buffer 200. For example,the FIFO memory buffer 200 provides the read command COM0 to the datamodulator 126, which is the initial data command COM within the FIFOmemory buffer 200. For the sake of explanation, it is presumed that theread command COM0 is for the slave bus controller 108. Thus, for thesake of explanation, the read data frame 218 will be described as anorganization of data pulses generated along the bus line 12 with theinput data signal SDATA from the master bus controller 110 and with theinput data signal RDATA from a slave bus controller 108 in order toimplement the read command COM0.

In this embodiment, the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller110 begins the read data frame 218 by generating a sequence of datapulses within the input data signal SDATA along the bus line 12 inaccordance with an SOS pulse pattern, as described in concurrently filedrelated U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/659,292 entitled “START OFSEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.” In an alternative embodiment, theread data frame 218 may be begun as described by FIG. 2 and the timeslot TS[0]. The master bus controller 110 is configured to transmit thissequence of data pulses along the bus line 12 during an SOS subframeSOSSB, which is at the beginning of the read data frame 218. Thesequence of data pulses includes a calibration data pulse, as describedin concurrently filed related U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/659,292, entitled “START OF SEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.”

The data demodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is configuredto recognize that the sequence of data pulses transmitted along the busline 12 has been provided in accordance with the SOS pulse pattern, alsoas described in concurrently filed related U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/659,292, entitled “START OF SEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.”In this manner, the data demodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108is configured to detect that the master bus controller 110 has started anew data frame, which in this example is the read data frame 218. Thedata demodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is furtherconfigured to calibrate the decoder 10 in accordance with thecalibration data pulse provided within the sequence of data pulsesprovided in accordance with the SOS pulse pattern, as described inconcurrently filed related U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/659,292,entitled “START OF SEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.” As such, thedata demodulator 208 is configured to clear the data frame registers 212in response to recognizing that the sequence of data pulses has beenprovided in accordance with the SOS pulse pattern.

After the SOS subframe SOSSB, the read data frame 218 shown in FIG. 13includes a command data frame segment 220. During the command data framesegment 220, the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to generate a set of data pulses within the input data signalSDATA along the bus line 12 in accordance to a PWM bus protocol. Thisset of data pulses represents the command field CB of the data commandCOM. With respect to the read data frame 218, the data modulator 126 ofthe master bus controller 110 is configured to generate a set of datapulses along the bus line 12 within the input data signal SDATArepresenting one of the read commands COMR, which is made up of itscommand field CB. Continuing with the example for the read command COM0,during the command data frame segment 220, the data modulator 126 of themaster bus controller 110 is configured to generate the set of datapulses along the bus line 12 representing the command field CB0 (andthus representing the read command COM0) in accordance with the PWM busprotocol.

The command data frame segment 220 includes a slave identifier subframeUSID, a command identifier subframe CMD, and an address subframe ADR.During the slave identifier subframe USID, a subset of the data pulsesgenerated by the data modulator 126 within the command data framesegment 220 represent the slave identifier subfield in the command fieldCB of the data command COM in accordance to the PWM bus protocol. Withrespect to the read data frame 218, the subset of the data pulsesgenerated by the data modulator 126 during the slave identifier subframeUSID represent the slave identifier subfield in the command field CB ofone of the read commands COMR. For example, with regards to the readcommand COM0, the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to generate the subset of the data pulses to represent theslave identifier subfield of the data command COM0. Assuming that thedata command COM0 is for the slave bus controller 108, the slaveidentifier subfield of the command field CB0 would identify the slavebus controller 108 and thus the subset of data pulses would represent aslave identifier assigned to the slave bus controller 108.

The data modulator 126 is configured to generate a subset of the datapulses within command data frame segment 220 during the commandidentifier subframe CMD in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. Thesubset of the data pulses represents the command identifier subfield inthe command field CB of the data command COM. With respect to the readdata frame 218, the subset of the data pulses generated by the datamodulator 126 during the command identifier subframe CMD represent thecommand identifier subfield in the command field CB of one of the readcommands COMR. Continuing with the example for the read command COM0,the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 is configured togenerate the subset of the data pulses to represent the commandidentifier subfield in the command field CB0 of the data command COM0.The command identifier subfield may request different types of readcommands such as a standard read command, or an extended read command.

During the address subframe ADR, the data modulator 126 of the masterbus controller 110 is configured to generate a subset of the data pulseswithin the command data frame segment 220. The subset of the data pulsesrepresents the address subfield in the command field CB of the datacommand COM in accordance to the PWM bus protocol. With respect to theread data frame 218, the subset of the data pulses generated by the datamodulator 126 during the address subframe ADR represents the addresssubfield in the command field CB of one of the read commands COMR. Forexample, with regards to the read command COM0, the data modulator 126of the master bus controller 110 is configured to generate the subset ofthe data pulses to represent the address subfield in the read commandCOM0. Assuming that the read command COM0 is for the slave buscontroller 108, the address subfield of the command field CB0 wouldidentify the memory address within the memory device 154 of the slavebus controller 108 being requested to be read by the master buscontroller 110.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108, the decoder 10 in the datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is operable to receivethe set of data pulses in the input data signal SDATA that weretransmitted during the command data frame segment 220. The decoder 10 ofthe data demodulator 208 is configured to decode the set of data pulsestransmitted during the command data frame segment 220 into the decodedcommand field DCB in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. The decodedcommand field DCB is stored by the slave bus controller 108 within thedata frame registers 212 of the data demodulator 208. Thus, the datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is configured togenerate the decoded command field DCB from the set of data pulsesrepresenting the read command COM0. The decoded command field in thisexample is thus a decoded read command generated from the set of datapulses representing the read command COM0, which were transmitted duringthe command data frame segment 220 of the read data frame 218.

Next, the read data frame 218 shown in FIG. 13 then includes the errorcode subframe CRC1. The error coding circuit ECCM shown in FIG. 12within the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to generate an error code CRCA based on the command field CBof the data command CM. With regards to the read commands COMR, theerror coding circuit ECCM of the data modulator 126 is configured togenerate the error code CRCA based on the command field CB of theparticular read command COMR. For example, with regards to the readcommand COM0, the error coding circuit ECCM of the data modulator 126 isconfigured to generate the error code CRCA based on the command fieldCB0 and thus based on the read command COM0. In this embodiment, theerror coding circuit ECCM is a cyclic redundancy code (CRC) generatorand the error code CRCA is a CRC. The error coding circuit ECCM is thusconfigured to implement a CRC algorithm on the command field CB of thedata command COM in order to generate the error code CRCA. However, theerror coding circuit ECCM may be any type of suitable coding circuitsuch as a parity code generator.

The error coding circuit ECCM in the data modulator 126 of the masterbus controller 110 is configured to generate the error code CRCA basedon the command field CM0 of the read command COM0. Thus, the errorcoding circuit ECCM is configured to implement the CRC algorithm on theread command COM0 in order to generate the error code CRCA. During theerror code subframe CRC1, the data modulator 126 of the master buscontroller 110 is configured to generate a set of data pulses along thebus line 12 within the input data signal SDATA representing the errorcode CRCA in accordance with the PWM bus protocol.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108, the decoder 10 in the datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is operable to receivethe set of data pulses within the input data signal SDATA transmittedduring the error code subframe CRC1. As such, the decoder 10 of the datademodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108 is configured to decodethe set of data pulses representing the error code CRCA into the decodederror code DCRCA in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. The decodederror code DCRCA is also stored within the data frame registers 212.Additionally, the error detection circuit EDCS of the data demodulator208 in the slave bus controller 108 is configured to generate the errorcode CRCSA based on the decoded command field DCB provided from the dataframe registers 212. More specifically, the error detection circuit EDCSof the data demodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108 isconfigured to generate the error code CRCSA based on the decoded commandfield DCB, which was decoded by the decoder 10 from the set of datapulses representing the read command COM0.

The error detection circuit EDCS is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded command field DCB by comparing the decoded errorcode DCRCA with the error code CRCSA. More specifically, the errordetection circuit EDCS is operable to compare the decoded error codeDCRCA with the error code CRCSA. Based on a correspondence between thedecoded error code DCRCA and the error code CRCSA, the error detectioncircuit EDCS of the data demodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108detects whether there is an error in the decoded command field DCB. Whenthe correspondence between the decoded error code DCRCA and the errorcode CRCSA has a specified relationship, no error is detected by theEDCS in the decoded command field DCB and the decoded command field DCBpasses the error check. In one example, the error detection circuit EDCSis configured to compare the decoded error code DCRCA and the error codeCRCSA to determine whether the decoded error code DCRCA and the errorcode CRCSA match. When the decoded error code DCRCA and the error codeCRCSA match, the decoded command field DCB passes the error check.However, when the decoded error code DCRCA and the error code CRCSA donot match, then the decoded command field DCB fails the error check. Forexample, the error detection circuit EDCS of the data demodulator 208 inthe slave bus controller 108 is configured to generate the error codeCRCSA based on the decoded command field DCB, which should be a copy ofthe read command COM0. When the error code DCRCA and the error codeCRCSA do not match, the decoded command field DCB fails the error check,and the decoded command field DCB is not an accurate copy of the readcommand COM0. However, when the error code DCRCA and the error codeCRCSA match, the decoded command field DCB passes the error check. Thedecoded command field DCB is thus an accurate copy of the read commandCOM0. In this manner, the error detection circuit EDCS is configured todetect whether the set of data pulses representing the read command COM0were decoded appropriately. In this embodiment, the error code circuitECCM and the error detection circuit EDCS are configured to implementthe same CRC algorithm. In alternative embodiments, the error codecircuit ECCM and the error detection circuit EDCS are configured toimplement the different CRC algorithms, and the correspondence betweentheir results is known.

When the error detection circuit EDCS detects an error in the decodedcommand field DCB and the decoded command filed fails the error check,the slave bus controller 108 aborts the read command COM0. When no erroris detected in the decoded command field DCB and the decoded commandfield DCB passes the error check, the decoded command field DCB and theread command COM0 match. As such, the decoded command field DCB willinclude a decoded slave identifier subfield that is a copy of the slaveidentifier subfield of the read command COM0 represented during theslave identifier subframe USID. The decoded command field DCB willinclude a decoded command identifier subfield that is a copy of thecommand identifier subfield of the read command COM0 represented duringthe command identifier subframe CMD. Thus, in this example, the decodedcommand identifier subfield requests a read bus operation. The decodedcommand field DCB will also include a decoded address subfield that is acopy of the address subfield of the read command COM0 represented duringthe address subframe ADR. When the decoded command field DCB fails theerror check, the slave bus controller 108 aborts the read command COM0.The master bus controller 110 may recommunicate the read command COM0 orcontinue on to the next data command COM.

Referring again to FIGS. 12 and 13, after the error code subframe CRC1,the read data frame 218 includes a bus park subframe BP1. During a buspark subframe BP1, the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller110 transfers control of the bus line 12 to the slave bus controller108. The master bus controller 110 is thus configured to transfercontrol of the bus line 12 to the slave bus controller 108 aftertransmitting the set of data pulses representing the read command COM0and the set of data pulses representing the error code CRCA. To transfercontrol of the bus line 12, the data modulator 126 is configured togenerate the enable signal MEN so that the bidirectional buffer 132allows the slave bus controller 108 to generate data pulses along thebus line 12 with the input data signal RDATA. In one embodiment, themaster bus controller 110 is configured to begin the bus park subframeBP1 by dropping the input data signal SDATA to ground with a passivepull-down. A failing edge of input data signal SDATA begins an errortolerance window with a temporal duration of two standard time slots.After the falling edge of SDATA, the master bus controller 110 transferscontrol of the bus line 12 to the slave bus controller.

Once the bus park subframe BP1 ends, the master bus controller 110monitors the bus line 12 during the error tolerance window to detectwhether the slave bus controller is responsive. In this embodiment, themaster bus controller 110 is configured to monitor the bus line 12 foranother falling edge on the bus line 12 after transferring control tothe slave bus controller 108. If the slave bus controller 108 generatesthe falling edge in the error tolerance window, then the master buscontroller 110 deems that the slave bus controller 108 is operational,and the read data frame 218 continues. However, when no falling edge isprovided, the master bus controller 110 determines that the slave buscontroller 108 is stuck high or stuck low, and the master bus controller110 is thus unresponsive. The master bus controller 110 sets a slavelock error status register high in its bus status registers. If theslave lock error status register is pulsed high, then the master buscontroller 110 is configured to abort the read command COM0. Once theread command COM0 is aborted, the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to pull the bus line low so that a supply voltage of theslave bus controller 108 and any other slave bus controller is set to0V. Accordingly, the slave bus controller 108 is reset.

Referring again to FIGS. 12 and 13, after the bus park subframe BP1, theread data frame has a slave payload subframe SPAYLOAD. During the slavepayload subframe SPAYLOAD, the slave bus controller 108 is configured togenerate a set of data pulses within the input data signal RDATA andalong the bus line 12 that represent the particular data segment DWidentified by the decoded read command, which in this example is thedecoded command field DCB. More specifically, the data modulator 210 ofthe slave bus controller 108 is configured to generate the set of datapulses corresponding to the data segment DW identified by the decodedaddress subfield of the decoded read command, which in this example isthe decoded command field DCB. The data modulator 210 generates the setof data pulses in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. With regards tothe decoded read command for the read command COM0, the data modulator210 of the slave bus controller 108 is configured to generate the set ofthe data pulses within the input data signal RDATA so that the set ofdata pulses represent the data segment DW identified by the addresssubfield of the decoded read command, which in this example is thedecoded command field DCB.

The data demodulator 204 of the master bus controller 110 is operable toreceive the set of data pulses within the input data signal RDATA thatwere transmitted during the slave payload subframe SPAYLOAD. The datademodulator 204 is configured to decode the set of data pulses into adecoded data segment DSDW in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. Thedecoded data segment DSDW is stored within the payload registers 206.

Referring again to FIGS. 12 and 13, the read data frame 218 thenincludes an error code subframe CRC2. To ensure accurate datatransmission, the error coding circuit ECCS shown in FIG. 12 within thedata modulator 210 of the slave bus controller 108 is configured togenerate an error code CRCB based on the data segment DW identified bythe decoded read command. For example, with regards to the data commandCOM0 (which is one of the read command COMR), the error coding circuitECCS of the data modulator 210 is configured to generate the error codeCRCB based on the data segment DW identified by the decoded addresssubfield, which is a copy of the address subfield of the read commandCOM0. In this embodiment, the error coding circuit ECCS is a CRCgenerator, and the error code CRCB is a CRC. The error coding circuitECCS is thus configured to implement a CRC algorithm on the data segmentDW identified by the decoded read command in order to generate the errorcode CRCB. Thus, in this embodiment, the error code CRCB is a CRC.However, the error coding circuit ECCS may be any type of suitable errorcoding circuit such as a parity code generator.

During the error code subframe CRC2, the data modulator 210 of the slavebus controller 108 is configured to generate a set of data pulses withinthe input data signal RDATA along the bus line 12 representing the errorcode CRCB in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. Accordingly, the datademodulator 204 of the master bus controller 110 is operable to receivethe set of data pulses within the input data signal RDATA representingthe CRCB. The data demodulator 204 in the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to decode the set of data pulses that were transmitted duringthe error code subframe CRC2 into a decoded error code DCRCB inaccordance with the PWM bus protocol. The decoded error code DCRCB isstored within the payload registers 206.

The error detection circuit EDCM of the data demodulator 204 in themaster bus controller 110 is configured to generate an error code CRCMbased on the decoded data segment DSDW provided from the data frameregisters 212. The error detection circuit EDCM may implement the same(or a different but related algorithm) as the error detection circuitECCS of the slave bus controller 108 in order to generate the error codeCRCM. In this embodiment, the error detection circuit EDCM is a CRCerror detector and the error code CRCM is a CRC code.

The error detection circuit EDCM is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded data segment DSDW by comparing the decoded errorcode DCRCB with the error code CRCM. More specifically, the errordetection circuit EDCM is operable to compare the decoded error codeDCRCB with the error code CRCM. Based on a correspondence between thedecoded error code DCRCB and the error code CRCM, the error detectioncircuit EDCM of the data demodulator 204 in the master bus controller110 detects whether there is an error in the decoded data segment DSDW.When the correspondence between the decoded error code DCRCB and theerror code CRCM has a specified relationship, no error is detected bythe EDCM in the decoded data segment DSDW and the decoded data segmentDSDW passes the error check. In one example, the error detection circuitEDCM is configured to compare the decoded error code DCRCB and the errorcode CRCM to determine whether the decoded error code DCRCB and theerror code CRCM match. When the decoded error code DCRCB and the errorcode CRCM match, the decoded data segment DSDW passes the error check.However, when the decoded error code DCRCB and the error code CRCM don'tmatch, then the decoded data segment DSDW fails the error check. Forexample, the error detection circuit EDCM of the data demodulator 204 inthe master bus controller 110 is configured to generate the error codeCRCM based on the decoded data segment DSDW, which should be a copy ofthe data segment DW. When the error code DCRCB and the error code CRCMdo not match, the decoded data segment DSDW fails the error check, andthe decoded data segment DSDW is not an accurate copy of the datasegment DW. However, when the error code DCRCB and the error code CRCMmatch, the decoded data segment DSDW passes the error check. The decodeddata segment DSDW is thus an accurate copy of the data segment DW. Inthis manner, the error detection circuit EDCM is configured to detectwhether the set of data pulses representing data segment DW was decodedappropriately. In this embodiment, the error code circuit ECCM and theerror detection circuit ECCS are configured to implement the same CRCalgorithm. In alternative embodiments, the error code circuit ECCM andthe error detection circuit ECCS are configured to implement thedifferent CRC algorithms, and the correspondence between their resultsis known.

In response to the decoded error code DCRCB and if the error code andCRCM match (or have a specified relationship to one another), the datademodulator 204 is configured to store the decoded data word DSDW withinthe memory device 202. In this embodiment, the data demodulator 204stores the decoded data word DSDW in the slave data image 216W for theslave bus controller 108. More specifically, the decoded word DSDW isstored within the slave data image 216W at a memory address thatcorresponds with the address data field of the read command COM0. Theaddress data field identifies the memory address within the memorydevice 154 of the slave bus controller 108 storing the data segmentrequested by the read command COMR. As such, the decoded word DSDW isstored by the memory device 202 of the master bus controller 110 withinthe slave data image 216W at the memory address that corresponds to thememory address of the memory device 154 in the slave bus controller 108that stores the data segment of the slave data 214 identified by theread command COM0. Using the read command COMR, the master buscontroller 110 can create and maintain the slave data image 216W as anaccurate replica of the slave data 214 within the memory device 154.

As shown in FIG. 13, a bus park subframe BP2 is provided at the end ofthe read data frame 218 and is used to give the master bus controller110 control of the bus line 12. During the bus park subframe BP2, themaster bus controller 110 is thus configured to generate the enablesignal MEN such that the bidirectional buffer 132 allows the input datasignal SDATA to be provided along the bus line 12.

Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 14, FIG. 14 illustrates one embodiment ofa write data frame 222 utilized by the bus interface system 109 shown inFIG. 12 to implement the write commands COMW. The write data frame 222describes the organization of data pulses generated along the bus line12 with the input data signal SDATA from the master bus controller 110from a slave bus controller 108 in order to implement one of the writecommands COMW with the bus interface system 109. To implement a writebus operation described by the write command COMW, the data modulator126 is configured to receive the write command COMW from the FIFO memorybuffer 200. For example, after the data command COM0, the FIFO memorybuffer 200 provides the write command COM1 to the data modulator 126,which is one of the write command COMW. For the sake of explanation, itis presumed that the write command COM1 is for the slave bus controller108.

The master bus controller 110 shown in FIG. 12 includes a shadowregister circuit 224 that includes shadow registers 226. After receivingone of the write commands COMW, the data modulator 126 is configured tostore the write command COMW within the shadow registers 226 of theshadow register circuit 224. As explained in further detail below, themaster bus controller 110 does this in order to await an acknowledgementpulse from the slave bus controller (e.g., the slave bus controller 108)that indicates that an accurate copy of the payload segment MPB wasstored within the slave data (e.g., the slave data 214) of the memorydevice (e.g., the memory device 154) referred to as the write commandCOMW. In response to the acknowledgement pulse, the shadow registercircuit 224 provides the write command COMW to the memory device 202which stores the payload segment MPB from the shadow registers 226 intothe slave data image 216W.

For example, again assuming that the write command COM1 is for the slavebus controller 108, the data modulator 126 is configured to store thewrite command COM1 within the shadow registers 226 of the shadowregister circuit 224. The shadow register circuit 224 waits for anacknowledgement pulse from the slave bus controller 108 that indicatesthat an accurate copy of the payload segment MPB1 was stored within theslave data 214 of the memory device 154. The shadow register circuit 224then provides the write command COM1 to the memory device 202. Thememory device 202 is configured to store the payload segment MPB1 withinthe memory address of the slave data image 216W that corresponds to theaddress subfield within the command field CB1 of the write command COM1.

The write data frame 222 describes an organization of data pulsesgenerated along the bus line 12 with the input data signal SDATA by themaster bus controller 110 in order to implement one of the writecommands COMW. In this embodiment, the data modulator 126 of the masterbus controller 110 begins the write data frame 222 by generating asequence of data pulses within the input data signal SDATA along the busline 12 in accordance with the SOS pulse pattern. In an alternativeembodiment, the write data frame 222 may be begun as described by FIG. 2and the time slot TS[0]. This sequence of data pulses is provided duringan SOS subframe SOSSB at the beginning of the write data frame 222. Themaster bus controller 110 is configured to transmit this sequence ofdata pulses along the bus line 12 during the SOS subframe SOSSB, whichis at the beginning of the write data frame 222. The sequence of datapulses includes a calibration data pulse.

The data demodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is configuredto recognize that the sequence of data pulses transmitted along the busline 12 by the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 hasbeen provided in accordance with the SOS pulse pattern. In this manner,the data demodulator 208 of the slave bus controller can detect when themaster bus controller 110 has started the write data frame 222. The datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is further configured tocalibrate the decoder 10 in accordance with the calibration data pulsein response to recognizing that the sequence of data pulses has beenprovided in accordance with the SOS pulse pattern. As such, the datademodulator 208 is configured to clear the data frame registers 212 inresponse to recognizing that the sequence of data pulses transmittedalong the bus line 12 by the data modulator 126 of the master buscontroller 110 has been provided in accordance with the SOS pulsepattern.

After the SOS subframe SOSSB, the write data frame 222 includes thecommand data frame segment 220, which was described above with respectto FIGS. 12 and 13. However, with respect to the write data frame 222,the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 is configured togenerate a set of data pulses within the input data signal SDATA alongthe bus line 12 representing one of the command field CB. For example,with regards to the write command COM1, the data modulator 126 of themaster bus controller 110 is configured to generate the set of datapulses along the bus line 12 representing the command field CB1.

As explained above, the command data frame segment 220 shown in FIG. 14includes the slave identifier subframe USID, the command identifiersubframe CMD, and the address subframe ADR. With respect to the writedata frame 222, for example, with regards to the write command COM1, thedata modulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 is configured togenerate the subset of the data pulses to represent the slave identifiersubfield in the command field CB1 of the write command COM1. Assumingthat the write command COM1 is for the slave bus controller 108, theslave identifier subfield of the command field CB1 would identify theslave bus controller 108, and thus the subset of data pulses wouldrepresent a slave identifier of the slave bus controller 108.

During the command identifier subframe CMD, a subset of the data pulsesgenerated by the data modulator 126 within the command data framesegment 220 represents the command identifier subfield in the commandfield CB of the data command COM in accordance to a PWM bus protocol.With respect to the write data frame 222, the subset of the data pulsesgenerated by the data represents the command identifier subfield in thecommand field CB of one of the write commands COMW. For example, withregards to the write command COM1, the data modulator 126 of the masterbus controller 110 is configured to generate the subset of the datapulses to represent the command identifier subfield in the command fieldCB1 of the write command COM1. The command identifier subfield mayrequest different types of individual write commands to a specific slavebus controller. For the sake of explanation, the write command COM1 ispresumed to be specifically for the slave bus controller 108.

With respect to the write data frame 222, the data modulator 126 of themaster bus controller 110 is configured to generate a subset of the datapulses within the command data frame segment 220 representing theaddress subfield in the command field CB of one of the write commandsCOMW. For example, with regards to the write command COM1, the datamodulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 is configured to generatethe subset of the data pulses to represent the address subfield in thecommand field CB1 of the write command COM1. Assuming that the writecommand COM1 is for the slave bus controller 108, the address subfieldof the command field CB1 would identify the memory address within thememory device 154 of the slave bus controller 108 being requested to bewritten to by the master bus controller 110.

With regards to the write commands COMW, the error coding circuit ECCMshown in FIG. 12 within the data modulator 126 of the master buscontroller 110 is configured to generate the error code CRCA based onthe command field CB of one of the write commands COMW. For example,with regards to the write command COM1, the error coding circuit ECCM ofthe data modulator 126 is configured to generate the error code CRCAbased on the command field CB1. The write data frame 222 also includesthe error code subframe CRC1 shown in FIG. 14. During the error codesubframe CRC1, the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller 110is configured to generate a set of data pulses along the bus line 12within the input data signal SDATA representing the error code CRCA.

As such, the decoder 10 in the data demodulator 208 of the slave buscontroller 108 is operable to receive the set of data pulses in theinput data signal SDATA that was transmitted during the command dataframe segment 220. The decoder 10 of the data demodulator 208 isconfigured to decode this set of data into a decoded command field DCBin accordance with the PWM bus protocol. The decoded command field DCBis stored within the data frame registers 212. For example, with regardsto the write command COM1 (which is one of the write commands COMW), thedata demodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is configured togenerate the decoded command field DCB that was decoded from the set ofdata pulses in the input data signal SDATA representing the commandfield CB1 of the write command COM1.

The decoder 10 in the data demodulator 208 of the slave bus controller108 is also operable to receive the set of data pulses within the inputdata signal SDATA that were transmitted during the error code frameCRC1. As such, the decoder 10 of the data demodulator 208 in the slavebus controller 108 is configured to decode the set of data pulsesrepresenting the error code CRCA into the decoded error code DCRCA inaccordance with the PWM bus protocol. The decoded error code DCRCA isalso stored within the data frame registers 212. Additionally, the errordetection circuit EDCS of the data demodulator 208 in the slave buscontroller 108 is configured to generate the error code CRCSA based onthe decoded command field DCB provided from the data frame registers212. For example, with regards to the write command COM1, the errordetection circuit EDCS of the data demodulator 208 in the slave buscontroller 108 is configured to generate the error code CRCSA based onthe decoded command field DCB that was decoded from the set of datapulses representing the set of data pulses in the input data signalSDATA representing the command field CB1 of the write command COM1.

The error detection circuit EDCS is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded command field DCB by comparing the decoded errorcode DCRCA with the error code CRCSA. More specifically, the errordetection circuit EDCS is then configured to compare the decoded errorcode DCRCA with the error code CRCSA. By comparing the decoded errorcode DCRCA with the error code CRCSA, the error detection circuit EDCSof the data demodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108 detectswhether there is an error in the decoded command field DCB. For example,when the decoded error code DCRCA and the error code CRCSA match (orhave a specified relationship to one another), then no error is detectedin the decoded command field DCB. As such, the error check is passed bythe decoded command field DCB. However, when the decoded error codeDCRCA and the error code CRCSA do not match (or do not have thespecified relationship to one another) then an error is detected. Assuch, the decoded command field DCB fails the error check. For example,for the write command COM1 (which is one of the write commands COMW),the error detection circuit EDCS of the data demodulator 208 in theslave bus controller 108 is configured to generate the error code CRCSAbased on the decoded command field DCB, which should be a copy of thecommand field CB1 of the data command CM1. When the error code DCRCA andthe error code CRCSA do not match, the decoded command field DCB failsthe error check. In this manner, the error detection circuit EDCS isconfigured to detect whether the set of data pulses representing thecommand field CB1 were decoded appropriately.

When the error detection circuit EDCS detects an error in the decodedcommand field DCB and the error check has failed, the slave buscontroller 108 aborts the write command COMW. When no error is detectedin the decoded command field DCB and the error check is passed, then thedecoded command field DCB and the command field CB of the write commandCOMW match. As such, the decoded command field DCB will include adecoded slave identifier subfield that is a copy of the slave identifiersubfield of the command field CB represented during the slave identifiersubframe USID. The decoded command field DCB will include a decodedcommand identifier subfield that is a copy of the command identifiersubfield of the command field CB represented during the commandidentifier subframe CMD. Thus, in this example, the decoded commandidentifier subfield requests the write bus operation. The decodedcommand field DCB will also include a decoded address subfield that is acopy of the address subfield of the command field CB represented duringthe address subframe ADR. When the decoded slave identifier subfield inthe decoded command field DCB does not identify the slave bus controller108 (but rather another slave bus controller or has an error), the slavebus controller 108 ignores the remainder of the write data frame 222.However, when the decoded slave identifier subfield in the decodedcommand field DCB does identify the slave bus controller 108, the slavebus controller 108 prepares for the payload segment MPB from the masterbus controller 110 to be written to the memory address identified by thedecoded address field of the decoded command field DCB.

Referring again to FIGS. 12 and 14, after the error code subframe CRC1,the write data frame 222 has a master payload subframe MPAYLOAD. Duringthe master payload subframe MPAYLOAD, the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to generate a set of data pulses along the bus line 12 withinthe input data signal SDATA representing the payload segment MPB of oneof the write commands. More specifically, the data modulator 126 of themaster bus controller 110 is configured to generate a set of data pulsesalong the bus line 12 within the input data signal SDATA representingthe payload segment MPB of one of the write commands COMW. The datamodulator 126 generates the set of data pulses in accordance with thePWM bus protocol. With regards to the write command COM1, the datamodulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 is configured to generatethe set of the data pulses within the input data signal SDATA so thatthe set of data pulses represent the payload segment MPB1. The datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is operable to receivethe set of data pulses within the input data signal SDATA that weretransmitted during the master payload subframe MPAYLOAD. The decoder 10in the data demodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 isconfigured to decode the set of data pulses into a decoded payloadsegment DMPB. The data frame registers 212 are configured to store thedecoded payload segment DMPB.

For the write command COMW being communicated during the write dataframe 222, the error coding circuit ECCM shown in FIG. 12 within thedata modulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 is configured togenerate an error code CRCC based on the payload segment MPB of thewrite command COMW. To generate the error code CRCC, the error codingcircuit ECCM within the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller110 is configured to implement an error check algorithm on the payloadsegment MPB. In this embodiment, the error code CRCC is a CRC since theerror coding algorithm implemented by the error coding circuit ECCM isthe CRC algorithm discussed above. However, as explained above,alternative embodiments of the error coding circuit ECCM may be anysuitable type of error coding generator capable of allowing the businterface system 109 to maintain bus errors within error tolerancesapplicable to a particular application of the bus interface system 109.Therefore, alternative the error code CRCC may be any type of error codegenerated by such error coding generators, such as a parity codegenerator. With regards to the write command COM1 (which is one of thewrite commands COMW), the error coding circuit ECCM of the datamodulator 126 is configured to generate the error code CRCC based on thepayload segment MPB1 and thus based on the write command COM1. Thus, theerror coding circuit ECCM shown in FIG. 12 is configured to implementthe CRC algorithm on the payload segment MPB1 in order to generate theerror code CRCC.

Next, the write data frame 222 shown in FIG. 14 includes an error codesubframe CRC3. During the error code subframe CRC3, the data modulator126 of the master bus controller 110 is configured to generate a set ofdata pulses in the input data signal SDATA along the bus line 12representing the error code CRCC in accordance with the PWM busprotocol. The decoder 10 in the data demodulator 208 of the slave buscontroller 108 is operable to receive the set of data pulses within theinput data signal SDATA that were transmitted during the error codeframe CRC3. As such, the decoder 10 of the data demodulator 208 in theslave bus controller 108 is configured to decode the set of data pulsesrepresenting the error code CRCC into the decoded error code DCRCC inaccordance with the PWM bus protocol. The decoded error code DCRCC isalso stored within the data frame registers 212. Additionally, the errordetection circuit EDCS of the data demodulator 208 in the slave buscontroller 108 is configured to generate the error code CRCSC based onthe decoded payload segment DMPB provided from the data frame registers212. For example, with regards to the write command COM1 (which is oneof the write commands COMW), the error detection circuit EDCS of thedata demodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108 is configured togenerate the error code CRCSC based on the decoded payload segment DMPBthat was decoded from the set of data pulses transmitted during theerror code frame CRC3. More specifically, the error detection circuitEDCS of the data demodulator 208 implements the CRC algorithm on thedecoded payload segment DMPB to generate the error code CRCSC. In thisembodiment, the error code CRCSC is a CRC. However, alternativeembodiments of the error coding circuit EDCS may be provided as anysuitable type of error coding generator capable of allowing the businterface system 109 to maintain bus errors within error tolerancesapplicable to a particular application of the bus interface system 109.Therefore, in alternative embodiments, the error code CRCSC may be anytype of error code generated by such error coding generators, such as aparity code. As such, the error detection circuit EDCS is configured todetect whether the set of data pulses representing the payload segmentMPB1 of the write command COM1 were decoded appropriately by the slavebus controller 108.

The error detection circuit EDCS is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded payload segment DMPB by comparing the decoded errorcode DCRCC with the error code CRCSC. More specifically, the errordetection circuit EDCS is configured to compare the decoded error codeDCRCC with the error code CRCSC. By comparing the decoded error codeDCRCC with the error code CRCSC, the error detection circuit EDCS of thedata demodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108 detects whetherthere is an error in the decoded payload segment DMPB. For example, whenthe decoded error code DCRCC and the error code CRCSC match (or have aspecified relationship to one another), then no error is detected in thedecoded payload segment DMPB. As such, the error check is passed by thedecoded payload segment DMPB. However, when the decoded error code DCRCCand the error code CRCSC do not match (or do not the specifiedrelationship to one another) then an error is detected. As such, thedecoded payload segment DMPB fails the error check.

When no error is detected in the decoded payload segment DMPB and theerror check is passed, the slave bus controller 108 is configured tostore the decoded payload segment DMPB with the memory device 154. Morespecifically, the data demodulator 208 is configured to pass the decodedcommand filed DCB and the decoded payload segment DMPB to the memorydevice 154. The memory device 154 is then operable to store the decodedpayload segment DMPB in the slave data 214 at the memory address of thememory device 154 that is identified by the decoded address subfield ofthe decoded command field DCB. When an error is detected in the decodedpayload segment DMPB and the error check fails, the slave bus controller108 does not store the decoded payload segment DMPB in the slave data214 of the memory device 154.

Referring again to FIGS. 12 and 14, after the error code subframe CRC3,the write data frame 222 includes a bus park subframe BP3. During a buspark subframe BP3, the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller110 transfers control of the bus line 12 to the slave bus controller108. The data modulator 126 is configured to generate the enable signalMEN so that the bidirectional buffer 132 allows the slave bus controller108 to communicate along the bus line 12.

The write data frame 222 shown in FIG. 14 then includes anacknowledgement subframe ACK1. The slave bus controller 108 shown inFIG. 12 includes an acknowledge generator 228 configured to generate anacknowledgement signal ACK along the bus line 12 within theacknowledgement subframe ACK1. In response to the decoded payloadsegment DMPB passing the error check, the acknowledge generator 228 ofthe slave bus controller 108 is configured to generate theacknowledgment signal ACK along the bus line 12 so that theacknowledgement signal ACK indicates that the decoded payload segmentDMPB passed the error check.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 12, when no error is detected in thedecoded payload segment DMPB and the error check is passed, the errordetection circuit EDCS is configured to generate an error status signal230 so that the error status signal 230 indicates that the decodedpayload segment DMPB passed the error check. The acknowledge generator228 of the slave bus controller 108 is configured to receive the errorstatus signal 230 from the error detection circuit EDCS. In theembodiment shown in FIG. 12, the acknowledge generator 228 is configuredto generate an acknowledgement pulse along the bus line within theacknowledgement signal ACK in response to the error status signal 230indicating that the decoded payload segment DMPB passed the error check.

The shadow register circuit 224 of the master bus controller 110 iscoupled to the bus line 12 and is configured to receive theacknowledgement signal ACK during the acknowledgement subframe ACK1. Inresponse to the acknowledgment signal ACK indicating that the decodedpayload segment DMPB passed the error check, the master bus controller110 is configured to store the payload segment MPB1 of the data commandCOM1 in the memory device 202. More specifically, the shadow registercircuit 224 is configured to pass the payload segment MPB1 stored withinthe shadow registers 226 to the memory device 202. The memory device 202is configured to store the payload segment MPB1 within the slave dataimage 216W at the memory address identified by the address subfield ofthe command field CB1. In this embodiment, the shadow register circuit224 is configured to pass the payload segment MPB1 to the memory device202 in response to receiving the acknowledgement pulse along the busline 12 during the acknowledgement subframe ACK1. The acknowledgementpulse within the acknowledgement signal ACK is a trigger pulse. Theshadow register circuit 224 is triggered to pass the write command COM1(which includes the payload segment MPB1) to the memory device 202 inresponse to receiving the acknowledgement pulse along the bus line 12during the acknowledgement subframe ACK1.

Since the memory addresses of the slave data image 216W corresponds tothe memory addresses of the slave data 214, the payload segment MPB1 isstored at the memory address of the slave data image 216W thatcorresponds to the memory address of the slave data 214. Note that whenthe decoded payload segment DMPB passes the error check, the decodedmaster payload is a copy of the payload segment MPB1 of the data commandCOM1. Accordingly, the slave data image 216W is updated at the relevantmemory address. Furthermore, the master bus controller 110 does not needto use another read command to obtain the slave data 214 at thecorresponding memory address of the memory device 154 of the slave buscontroller 108. Rather, the slave data image 216W includes an accuratecopy within the slave data image 216W.

In response to the decoded payload segment DMPB failing the error check,the acknowledge generator 228 of the slave bus controller 108 isconfigured to not generate the acknowledgment signal ACK along the busline 12 so that the acknowledgement signal ACK indicates that thedecoded payload segment DMPB failed the error check. In the embodimentshown in FIG. 12, when the decoded payload segment DMPB fails the errorcheck, the error detection circuit EDCS is configured to generate theerror status signal 230 so that the error status signal 230 indicatesthat the decoded payload segment DMPB failed the error check. Theacknowledge generator 228 shown in FIG. 12 is configured so as not toprovide the acknowledgement pulse along the bus line 12 during theacknowledgement subframe ACK1 when the error status signal 230 indicatesthat the decoded payload segment DMPB failed the error check. When themaster bus controller 110 does not receive the acknowledgement pulse andthus the acknowledgement signal ACK indicates that the decoded payloadsegment DMPB failed the error check, the master bus controller 110 mayeither retry communicating the write command COM1 during a subsequentdata frame, implement the next data command COM, or shut down the slavebus controller 108.

As discussed above, the master bus controller 110 is a bridge buscontroller that translates a data frame formatted in accordance with afirst bus protocol (e.g., the MIPI bus protocol) into the data framesformatted in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. The MIPI RFFE statemachine 124 of the master bus controller 110 may receive the input datasignal MDATA along the bus line 134 so that the input data signal MDATArepresents a read command during the data frame formatted in accordancewith the first bus protocol. The MIPI RFFE state machine 124 thusdecodes the input data signal MDATA into the read command. The readcommand may identify the slave bus controller 108 and a memory addressof the slave data 214 within the memory device 154 of the slave buscontroller 108 to be read. However, instead of placing another readcommand COMR into the FIFO memory buffer 200, the MIPI RFFE statemachine 124 of the master bus controller 110 is configured to obtain adata segment of the slave data image 216W corresponding to the slave buscontroller 108 and the memory address of the slave data 214 identifiedby the read command. The MIPI RFFE state machine 124 may then transmitan input data signal (not shown explicitly) along the MDATA line 134that represents the data segment from the slave data image 216W. Forexample, if the read command decoded by the MIPI RFFE state machine 124identified the slave bus controller 108 and the same memory address ofthe slave data 214 as the read command COM0, the memory addressidentified by the read command decoded by the MIPI RFFE state machine124 would also correspond to the memory address storing the decoded datasegment DSDW. In response to the read command decoded by the MIPI RFFEstate machine 124, the MIPI RFFE state machine 124 is configured toobtain the decoded data segment DSDW stored at the corresponding memoryaddress of the slave data image 216W of the memory device 202. The MIPIRFFE state machine 124 is configured to transmit the input data signalalong the MDATA line 134 representing the decoded data segment DSDW inaccordance with the first bus protocol (e.g., the MIPI bus protocol).Similarly, if the read command decoded by the MIPI RFFE state machine124 identified the slave bus controller 108 and the same memory addressof the slave data 214 as the as the write command COM1, the MIPI RFFEstate machine 124 is configured to obtain the payload segment MPB1stored at the corresponding memory address of the slave data image 216W.The MIPI RFFE state machine 124 may then transmit the input data signalalong the MDATA line 134 representing the decoded data segment DSDW inaccordance with the first bus protocol (e.g., the MIPI bus protocol). Inthis manner, the master bus controller 110 does not need to use anotherread command to obtain the slave data 214 at the corresponding memoryaddress of the memory device 154 of the slave bus controller 108.

FIG. 15 illustrates another embodiment of the bus interface system 109.The bus interface system 109 includes the same embodiment of the masterbus controller 110 shown in FIG. 12 and the same embodiment of the slavebus controller 108 shown in FIG. 12. However, in this embodiment, thebus interface system 109 further includes a slave bus controller 108Xformed on the IC package 166X, a slave bus controller 108Y formed on theIC package 166Y, and a slave bus controller 108Z formed on the ICpackage 166Z. The slave bus controller 108X is coupled to the bus line12 between the slave bus controller 108 and the slave bus controller108Y. The slave bus controller 108Y is coupled to the bus line 12between the slave bus controller 108X and the slave bus controller 108Z.Finally, the slave bus controller 108Z is coupled to the bus line 12next to the slave bus controller 108Y. The slave bus controllers 108,108X, 108Y, and 108Z are thus operable to receive the input data signalSDATA from the master bus controller 110 along the bus line 12. In thisembodiment, no other bus line is provided in the bus interface system109 to connect the master bus controller 110 and the slave buscontrollers 108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Z. Each of the slave bus controllers108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Z is assigned a unique slave identifier.

The slave bus controller 108X includes a data demodulator 208X, a datamodulator 210X, and the power conversion circuitry 112X. The powerconversion circuitry 112X may be provided in accordance with any of theembodiments described above. The power conversion circuitry 112X mayalso be provided as described in concurrently filed related U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/659,371, entitled “POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR AONE WIRE BUS INTERFACE SYSTEM,” hereby incorporated herein by referencein its entirety. In this embodiment, the power conversion circuitry 112Xis identical to the power conversion circuitry 112 in the slave buscontroller 108.

With regards to the data demodulator 208X, the data demodulator 208X ofthe slave bus controller 108X includes a decoder 10X, data frameregisters 212X, and an error detection circuit EDCSX. The decoder 10X isconfigured to decode the data pulses of the input data signal SDATA fromthe master bus controller 110 in accordance with the PWM bus protocol asdescribed above. It should be noted furthermore that the datademodulator 208X of the slave bus controller 108X and the decoder 10Xmay also be configured to recognize the sequence of data pulses withinthe input data signal SDATA provided in accordance with the SOS pulsepattern. In this embodiment, the data demodulator 208X is identical tothe data demodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108, except thatthe data demodulator 208X has a different slave identifier, as describedin concurrently filed related U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/659,292, entitled “START OF SEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.”Furthermore, the decoder 10X can also be calibrated as described inconcurrently filed related U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/659,292,entitled “START OF SEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.”

As shown in FIG. 15, the data demodulator 208X of the slave buscontroller 108X includes data frame registers 212X configured to receivethe memory input signal 38X from the decoder 10X. In this manner, thedata frame registers 212X store the data bits decoded by the decoder 10Xas result of the data pulses within the input data signal SDATA from themaster bus controller 110. The data demodulator 208X is explained infurther detail below.

As shown in FIG. 15, the memory device 154X is configured to store slavedata 214X. The slave data 214X includes data segments and memoryaddresses of the memory device 154X locating the data segments DW withinthe slave data 214X. Thus, each of the data segments is located withinthe slave data 214X at one of the memory addresses.

Furthermore, the slave bus controller 108X further includes the datamodulator 210X. In this embodiment, the data modulator 210X is identicalto the data modulator 210 of the slave bus controller 108. The datamodulator 210X is operably associated with the memory device 154X of theslave bus controller 108X. The data modulator 210X of the slave buscontroller 108X is configured to generate an input data signal RDATAXalong the bus line 12 in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. Forexample, to implement one of the read commands COMR for the slave buscontroller 108X, the data modulator 210X of the slave bus controller108X may generate data pulses along the bus line 12 within the inputdata signal RDATAX representing the data segment within the slave data214X that is requested by the read command COMR. The data pulses aretransmitted by the slave bus controller 108X to the master buscontroller 110 along the bus line 12. It should be noted that the inputdata signal SDATA is not being provided by the master bus controller 110during the transmission of the input data signal RDATAX by the slave buscontroller 108X. The memory device 202 of the master bus controller 110is configured to store the slave data image 216X. The slave data image216X is approximately a replica of the slave data 214X. In this manner,the master bus controller 110 can utilize the slave data image 216Xstored within the memory device 202 rather than implementing readcommands in order to obtain the data segments from the memory device154X of the slave bus controller 108X. The master bus controller 110creates and updates the slave data image 216X in the same manner asdescribed above for the slave data image 216W stored for the memorydevice 154 of the slave bus controller 108.

The slave bus controller 108Y includes a data demodulator 208Y, a datamodulator 210Y, and the power conversion circuitry 112Y. The powerconversion circuitry 112Y may be provided in accordance with any of theembodiments described above. The power conversion circuitry 112Y mayalso be provided as described in concurrently filed related U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/659,371, entitled “POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR ABUS INTERFACE SYSTEM,” hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety. In this embodiment, the power conversion circuitry 112Y isidentical to the power conversion circuitry 112 in the slave buscontroller 108.

With regards to the data demodulator 208Y, the data demodulator 208Y ofthe slave bus controller 108Y includes a decoder 10Y, data frameregisters 212Y, and an error detection circuit EDCSY. The decoder 10Y isconfigured to decode the data pulses of the input data signal SDATA fromthe master bus controller 110 in accordance with the PWM bus protocol asdescribed above. It should be noted furthermore that the datademodulator 208Y of the slave bus controller 108Y and the decoder 10Ymay also be configured to recognize the sequence of data pulses withinthe input data signal SDATA provided in accordance with the SOS pulsepattern. In this embodiment, the data demodulator 208Y is identical tothe data demodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108, except thatthe data demodulator 208Y has a different slave identifier, as describedin concurrently filed related U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/659,292, entitled “START OF SEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.”Furthermore, the decoder 10Y can also be calibrated as described inconcurrently filed related U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/659,292,entitled “START OF SEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.”

As shown in FIG. 15, the data demodulator 208Y of the slave buscontroller 108Y includes data frame registers 212Y configured to receivethe memory input signal 38Y from the decoder 10Y. In this manner, thedata frame registers 212Y store the data bits decoded by the decoder 10Yas result of the data pulses within the input data signal SDATA from themaster bus controller 110. The data demodulator 208Y is explained infurther detail below.

As shown in FIG. 15, the memory device 154Y is configured to store slavedata 214Y. The slave data 214Y includes data segments and memoryaddresses of the memory device 154Y locating the data segments DW withinthe slave data 214Y. Thus, each of the data segments is located withinthe slave data 214Y at one of the memory addresses.

Furthermore, the slave bus controller 108Y further includes the datamodulator 210Y. In this embodiment, the data modulator 210Y is identicalto the data modulator 210 of the slave bus controller 108. The datamodulator 210Y is operably associated with the memory device 154Y of theslave bus controller 108Y. The data modulator 210Y of the slave buscontroller 108Y is configured to generate an input data signal RDATAYalong the bus line 12 in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. Forexample, to implement one of the read commands COMR for the slave buscontroller 108Y, the data modulator 210Y of the slave bus controller108Y may generate data pulses along the bus line 12 within the inputdata signal RDATAY representing the data segment within the slave data214Y that is requested by the read command COMR. The data pulses aretransmitted by the slave bus controller 108Y to the master buscontroller 110 along the bus line 12. It should be noted that the inputdata signal SDATA is not being provided by the master bus controller 110during the transmission of the input data signal RDATAY by the slave buscontroller 108Y. The memory device 202 of the master bus controller 110is configured to store the slave data image 216Y. The slave data image216Y is approximately a replica of the slave data 214Y. In this manner,the master bus controller 110 can utilize the slave data image 216Ystored within the memory device 202 rather than implementing readcommands in order to obtain the data segments from the memory device154Y of the slave bus controller 108Y. The master bus controller 110creates and updates the slave data image 216Y in the same manner asdescribed above for the slave data image 216W stored for the memorydevice 154 of the slave bus controller 108.

The slave bus controller 108Z includes a data demodulator 208Z, a datamodulator 210Z, and the power conversion circuitry 112Z. The powerconversion circuitry 112Z may be provided in accordance with any of theembodiments described above. The power conversion circuitry 112Z mayalso be provided as described in concurrently filed related U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/659,371, entitled “POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR ABUS INTERFACE SYSTEM,” hereby incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety. In this embodiment, the power conversion circuitry 112Z isidentical to the power conversion circuitry 112 in the slave buscontroller 108.

With regards to the data demodulator 208Z, the data demodulator 208Z ofthe slave bus controller 108Z includes a decoder 10Z, data frameregisters 212Z, and an error detection circuit EDCSZ. The decoder 10Z isconfigured to decode the data pulses of the input data signal SDATA fromthe master bus controller 110 in accordance with the PWM bus protocol asdescribed above. It should be noted furthermore that the datademodulator 208Z of the slave bus controller 108Z and the decoder 10Zmay also be configured to recognize the sequence of data pulses withinthe input data signal SDATA provided in accordance with the SOS pulsepattern. In this embodiment, the data demodulator 208Z is identical tothe data demodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108, except thatthe data demodulator 208Z has a different slave identifier, as describedin concurrently filed related U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/659,292, entitled “START OF SEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.”Furthermore, the decoder 10Z can also be calibrated as described inconcurrently filed related U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/659,292,entitled “START OF SEQUENCE DETECTION FOR ONE WIRE BUS.”

As shown in FIG. 15, the data demodulator 208Z of the slave buscontroller 108Z includes data frame registers 212Z configured to receivethe memory input signal 38Z from the decoder 10Z. In this manner, thedata frame registers 212Z store the data bits decoded by the decoder 10Zas result of the data pulses within the input data signal SDATA from themaster bus controller 110. The data demodulator 208Z is explained infurther detail below.

As shown in FIG. 15, the memory device 154Z is configured to store slavedata 214Z. The slave data 214Z includes data segments and memoryaddresses of the memory device 154Z locating the data segments DW withinthe slave data 214Z. Thus, each of the data segments is located withinthe slave data 214Z at one of the memory addresses.

Furthermore, the slave bus controller 108Z further includes the datamodulator 210Z. In this embodiment, the data modulator 210Z is identicalto the data modulator 210 of the slave bus controller 108. The datamodulator 210Z is operably associated with the memory device 154Z of theslave bus controller 108Z. The data modulator 210Z of the slave buscontroller 108Z is configured to generate an input data signal RDATAZalong the bus line 12 in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. Forexample, to implement one of the read commands COMR for the slave buscontroller 108Z, the data modulator 210Z of the slave bus controller108Z may generate data pulses along the bus line 12 within the inputdata signal RDATAZ representing the data segment within the slave data214Z that is requested by the read command COMR. The data pulses aretransmitted by the slave bus controller 108Z to the master buscontroller 110 along the bus line 12. It should be noted that the inputdata signal SDATA is not being provided by the master bus controller 110during the transmission of the input data signal RDATAZ by the slave buscontroller 108Z. The memory device 202 of the master bus controller 110is configured to store the slave data image 216Z. The slave data image216Z is approximately a replica of the slave data 214Z. In this manner,the master bus controller 110 can utilize the slave data image 216Zstored within the memory device 202 rather than implementing readcommands in order to obtain the data segments from the memory device154Z of the slave bus controller 108Z. The master bus controller 110creates and updates the slave data image 216Z in the same manner asdescribed above for the slave data image 216W stored for the memorydevice 154 of the slave bus controller 108.

Referring now to FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, FIG. 16 illustrates one embodimentof a group write data frame 232 utilized by the bus interface system 109shown in FIG. 15 to implement the group write command COM2. The groupwrite data frame 232 describes an organization of data pulses generatedalong the bus line 12 in order to implement one of the group writecommand COM2. For the sake of explanation, it is presumed that the groupwrite command COM2 is a broadcast write command. As such, the datacommand COM2 is requesting that the slave bus controllers 108, 108X,108Y, and 108Z each write the payload segment MPB2 into the slave data214, 214X, 214Y, and 214Z of their respective memory devices 154, 154X,154Y, and 154Z. However, the group write command COM2 may also be asubgroup write command. The subgroup write command is requesting that asubcombination of the slave bus controllers 108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Zeach write the payload segment MPB2 into the slave data 214, 214X, 214Y,and 214Z of their respective memory devices 154, 154X, 154Y, and 154Z.The subcombination of the slave bus controllers 108, 108X, 108Y, and108Z may be any grouping of more than one but less than all of the slavebus controllers 108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Z within the bus interfacesystem 109.

To implement a group write bus operation described by the data commandCOM2, the data modulator 126 is configured to receive the data commandCOM2 from the FIFO memory buffer 200. After receiving the data commandCOM2, the data modulator 126 is configured to store the data commandCOM2 within the shadow registers 226 of the shadow register circuit 224.Assuming that the data command COM2 is a broadcast write command, themaster bus controller 110 does this in order to await an acknowledgementpulse along the bus line 12 from the slave bus controller 108, anacknowledgment pulse along the bus line 12 from the slave bus controller108X, an acknowledgment pulse along the bus line 12 from the slave buscontroller 108Y, and an acknowledgment pulse along the bus line 12 fromthe slave bus controller 108Z. As explained in further detail below, theacknowledgment pulses indicate that each of the slave bus controllers108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Z received an accurate copy of the payloadsegment MPB, which is stored by each the slave bus controllers 108,108X, 108Y, and 108Z within the slave data 214, 214X, 214Y, and 214Z oftheir respective memory devices 154, 154X, 154Y, and 154Z. In responseto the acknowledgement pulses, the shadow register circuit 224 providesthe group write command COM2 to the memory device 202, which stores thepayload segment MPB from the shadow registers 226 into each the slavedata images 216W, 216X, 216Y, 216Z.

In this embodiment, the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller110 begins the group write data frame 232 by generating a sequence ofdata pulses along the bus line 12 within the input data signal SDATA inaccordance with the SOS pulse pattern. In an alternative embodiment, theread data frame 218 may be begun as described by FIG. 2 and the timeslot TS[0]. This sequence of data pulses is provided during an SOSsubframe SOSSB at the beginning of the group write data frame 232. Themaster bus controller 110 is configured to transmit this sequence ofdata pulses along the bus line 12 during an SOS subframe SOSSB, which isat the beginning of the group write data frame 232. The sequence of datapulses includes a calibration data pulse.

With regard to the slave bus controller 108, the data demodulator 208 ofthe slave bus controller 108 is configured to recognize that thesequence of data pulses transmitted along the bus line 12 by the datamodulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 has been provided inaccordance with the SOS pulse pattern. In this manner, the datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller can detect when the masterbus controller 110 has started the group write data frame 232. The datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is further configured tocalibrate the decoder 10 in accordance with the calibration data pulsein response to recognizing that the sequence of data pulses has beenprovided in accordance with the SOS pulse pattern. As such, the datademodulator 208 is configured to clear the data frame registers 212 inresponse to recognizing that the sequence of data pulses transmittedalong the bus line 12 by the data modulator 126 of the master buscontroller 110 has been provided in accordance with the SOS pulsepattern.

With regard to the slave bus controller 108X, the data demodulator 208Xof the slave bus controller 108X is configured to recognize that thesequence of data pulses transmitted along the bus line 12 by the datamodulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 has been provided inaccordance with the SOS pulse pattern. In this manner, the datademodulator 208X of the slave bus controller can detect when the masterbus controller 110 has started the group write data frame 232. The datademodulator 208X of the slave bus controller 108X is further configuredto calibrate the decoder 10X in accordance with the calibration datapulse in response to recognizing that the sequence of data pulses hasbeen provided in accordance with the SOS pulse pattern. As such, thedata demodulator 208X is configured to clear the data frame registers212X in response to recognizing that the sequence of data pulsestransmitted along the bus line 12 by the data modulator 126 of themaster bus controller 110 has been provided in accordance with the SOSpulse pattern.

With regard to the slave bus controller 108Y, the data demodulator 208Yof the slave bus controller 108Y is configured to recognize that thesequence of data pulses transmitted along the bus line 12 by the datamodulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 have been provided inaccordance with the SOS pulse pattern. In this manner, the datademodulator 208Y of the slave bus controller can detect when the masterbus controller 110 has started the group write data frame 232. The datademodulator 208Y of the slave bus controller 108Y is further configuredto calibrate the decoder 10Y in accordance with the calibration datapulse in response to recognizing that the sequence of data pulses hasbeen provided in accordance with the SOS pulse pattern. As such, thedata demodulator 208Y is configured to clear the data frame registers212Y in response to recognizing that the sequence of data pulsestransmitted along the bus line 12 by the data modulator 126 of themaster bus controller 110 have been provided in accordance with the SOSpulse pattern.

With regard to the slave bus controller 108Z, the data demodulator 208Zof the slave bus controller 108Z is configured to recognize that thesequence of data pulses transmitted along the bus line 12 by the datamodulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 has been provided inaccordance with the SOS pulse pattern. In this manner, the datademodulator 208Z of the slave bus controller can detect when the masterbus controller 110 has started the group write data frame 232. The datademodulator 208Z of the slave bus controller 108Z is further configuredto calibrate the decoder 10Z in accordance with the calibration datapulse in response to recognizing that the sequence of data pulses hasbeen provided in accordance with the SOS pulse pattern. As such, thedata demodulator 208Z is configured to clear the data frame registers212Z in response to recognizing that the sequence of data pulsestransmitted along the bus line 12 by the data modulator 126 of themaster bus controller 110 has been provided in accordance with the SOSpulse pattern.

After the SOS subframe SOSSB, the group write data frame 232 includesthe command data frame segment 220, which was described above withrespect to FIG. 13 and FIG. 16. However, with respect to the group writedata frame 232, the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller 110is configured to generate a set of data pulses within the input datasignal SDATA along the bus line 12 representing the command field CB2 ofthe group write command COM2.

As explained above, the command data frame segment 220 shown in FIG. 16includes the slave identifier subframe USID, the command identifiersubframe CMD, and the address subframe ADR. With respect to the groupwrite data frame 232, the data modulator 126 of the master buscontroller 110 is configured to generate a subset of the data pulseswithin the command data frame segment 220 during the slave identifiersubframe USID. The subset of the data pulses provided during the slaveidentifier subframe USID represents the slave identifier subfield in thecommand field CB2 of the data command COM2. Assuming that the groupwrite command COM2 is a broadcast write command, the slave identifiersubfield in the command field CB2 may be provided as a null bit pattern,which indicates the group write command is for all of the slave buscontrollers 108, 108X, 108Y, 108Z. However, if the group write commandCOM2 is a subgroup write command, the slave identifier subfieldrepresents any one of several subgroup identifiers. Each of the subgroupidentifiers identifies a different subcombination of the slave buscontrollers 108, 108X, 108Y, 108Z. The subgroup identifiers may or maynot conflict with the slave identifiers to the slave bus controllers108, 108X, 108Y, 108Z individually. This is because the commandidentifier subfield within the command field CB2 indicates that thegroup write command COM2 is requesting a subgroup write bus operationnot an individual write bus operation.

Next, the command data frame segment 220 shown in FIG. 16 includes thecommand identifier subframe CMD. During the command identifier subframeCMD, the data modulator 126 is configured to generate a subset of thedata pulses within the command data frame segment 220 representing thecommand identifier subfield of the command field CB2. The commandidentifier subfield indicates that the group write command COM2 isrequesting a group write bus operation. Assuming that the group writecommand COM2 is a broadcast write command, the command identifiersubfield indicates a broadcast write bus operation. In contrast, if thegroup write command COM2 is a subgroup write command, the commandidentifier subfield indicates that a subgroup write operation is beingrequested. In this embodiment, the subcombination of the slave buscontrollers 108, 108X, 108Y, 108Z for the group write command COM2 isidentified by the slave identifier subfield.

The command data frame segment 220 shown in FIG. 16 includes the addresssubframe ADR. With respect to the group write data frame 232, the datamodulator 126 of the master bus controller 110 is configured to generatea subset of the data pulses within the command data frame segment 220representing the address subfield in the command field CB2 of the groupwrite command COM2. The address subfield of the command field CB2 may bea memory address offset. Thus, the memory address offset corresponds toa memory address of the slave data 214 within the memory device 154, amemory address of the slave data 214X within the memory device 154X, amemory address of the slave data 214Y within the memory device 154Y, anda memory address of the slave data 214Z within the memory device 154Z.Thus, for a broadcast write command, the address subfield of the commandfield CB2 identifies the memory addresses to be written to by each ofthe memory devices 154, 154X, 154Y, 154Z. Thus, for a subgroup writecommand, the address subfield of the command field CB2 identifies thememory addresses to be written to by each of the memory devices 154,154X, 154Y, 154Z that are in the subcombination identified by the slaveidentifier subfield.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108, the decoder 10 in the datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is operable to receivethe set of data pulses in the input data signal SDATA that weretransmitted during the command data frame segment 220. The decoder 10 ofthe data demodulator 208 is configured to decode the set of data pulsestransmitted during the command data frame segment 220 into the decodedcommand field DCB in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. The decodedcommand field DCB is stored by the slave bus controller 108 within thedata frame registers 212 of the data demodulator 208. Thus, the datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is configured togenerate the decoded command field DCB from the set of data pulsesrepresenting the command field CB2 of the group write command COM2.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108X, the decoder 10X in thedata demodulator 208X of the slave bus controller 108X is operable toreceive the set of data pulses in the input data signal SDATA that weretransmitted during the command data frame segment 220. The decoder 10Xof the data demodulator 208X is configured to decode the set of datapulses transmitted during the command data frame segment 220 into adecoded command field DCBX in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. Thedecoded command field DCBX is stored by the slave bus controller 108Xwithin the data frame registers 212X of the data demodulator 208X. Thus,the data demodulator 208X of the slave bus controller 108X is configuredto generate the decoded command field DCBX from the set of data pulsesrepresenting the command field CB2 of the group write command COM2.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108Y, the decoder 10Y in thedata demodulator 208Y of the slave bus controller 108Y is operable toreceive the set of data pulses in the input data signal SDATA that weretransmitted during the command data frame segment 220. The decoder 10Yof the data demodulator 208Y is configured to decode the set of datapulses transmitted during the command data frame segment 220 into adecoded command field DCBY in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. Thedecoded command field DCBY is stored by the slave bus controller 108Ywithin the data frame registers 212Y of the data demodulator 208Y. Thus,the data demodulator 208Y of the slave bus controller 108Y is configuredto generate the decoded command field DCBY from the set of data pulsesrepresenting the command field CB2 of the group write command COM2.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108Z, the decoder 10Z in thedata demodulator 208Z of the slave bus controller 108Z is operable toreceive the set of data pulses in the input data signal SDATA that weretransmitted during the command data frame segment 220. The decoder 10Zof the data demodulator 208Z is configured to decode the set of datapulses transmitted during the command data frame segment 220 into adecoded command field DCBZ in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. Thedecoded command field DCBZ is stored by the slave bus controller 108Zwithin the data frame registers 212Z of the data demodulator 208Z. Thus,the data demodulator 208Z of the slave bus controller 108Z is configuredto generate the decoded command field DCBZ from the set of data pulsesrepresenting the command field CB2 of the group write command COM2.

The group write data frame 232 shown in FIG. 16 then includes the errorcode subframe CRC1. The error coding circuit ECCM in the data modulator126 of the master bus controller 110 is configured to generate the errorcode CRCA based on the command field CB2 of the group write commandCOM2. The error coding circuit ECCM is configured to implement the CRCalgorithm on the command field CB2 to generate the error code CRCA as aCRC. During the error code subframe CRC1, the data modulator 126 of themaster bus controller 110 is configured to generate a set of data pulsesalong the bus line 12 within the input data signal SDATA representingthe error code CRCA in accordance with the PWM bus protocol.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108, the decoder 10 in the datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is operable to receivethe set of data pulses within the input data signal SDATA transmittedduring the error code subframe CRC1. As such, the decoder 10 of the datademodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108 is configured to decodethe set of data pulses representing the error code CRCA into the decodederror code DCRCA in accordance with the PWM bus protocol. The decodederror code DCRCA is also stored within the data frame registers 212.Additionally, the error detection circuit EDCS of the data demodulator208 in the slave bus controller 108 is configured to generate the errorcode CRCSA based on the decoded command field DCB provided from the dataframe registers 212. More specifically, the error detection circuit EDCSof the data demodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108 isconfigured to generate the error code CRCSA based on the decoded commandfield DCB, which was decoded by the decoder 10 from the set of datapulses representing the command field CB2 of the group write commandCOM2.

The error detection circuit EDCS is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded command field DCB by comparing the decoded errorcode DCRCA with the error code CRCSA. More specifically, the errordetection circuit EDCS is operable to compare the decoded error codeDCRCA with the error code CRCSA. Based on a correspondence between thedecoded error code DCRCA and the error code CRCSA, the error detectioncircuit EDCS of the data demodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108detects whether there is an error in the decoded command field DCB. Whenthe correspondence between the decoded error code DCRCA and the errorcode CRCSA have a specified relationship, no error is detected by theEDCS in the decoded command field DCB and the decoded command field DCBpasses the error check. In one example, the error detection circuit EDCSis configured to compare the decoded error code DCRCA and the error codeCRCSA to determine whether the decoded error code DCRCA and the errorcode CRCSA match. When the decoded error code DCRCA and the error codeCRCSA match, the decoded command field DCB passes the error check.However, when the decoded error code DCRCA and the error code CRCSA donot match, then the decoded command field DCB fails the error check. Forexample, the error detection circuit EDCS of the data demodulator 208 inthe slave bus controller 108 is configured to generate the error codeCRCSA based on the decoded command field DCB, which should be a copy ofthe command field CB2 of the data command COM2. When the error codeDCRCA and the error code CRCSA do not match, the decoded command fieldDCB fails the error check and the decoded command field DCB is not anaccurate copy of the command field CB2. However, when the error codeDCRCA and the error code CRCSA match, the decoded command field DCBpasses the error check. The decoded command field DCB is thus anaccurate copy of the command field CB2. In this manner, the errordetection circuit EDCS is configured to detect whether the set of datapulses representing the command field CB2 were decoded appropriately.

When the error detection circuit EDCS detects an error in the decodedcommand field DCB and the decoded command field fails the error check,the slave bus controller 108 aborts the group write command COM2. Whenno error is detected in the decoded command field DCB and the decodedcommand field DCB passes the error check, the decoded command field DCBand the command field CB2 of the group write command COM2 match. Assuch, the decoded command field DCB will include a decoded slaveidentifier subfield that is a copy of the slave identifier subfield ofthe command field CB2 represented during the slave identifier subframeUSID. The decoded command field DCB will include a decoded commandidentifier subfield that is a copy of the command identifier subfield ofthe command field CB2 represented during the command identifier subframeCMD. Thus, in this example, the decoded command identifier subfieldrequests a group write bus operation. The decoded command field DCB willalso include a decoded address subfield that is a copy of the addresssubfield of the command field CB2 represented during the addresssubframe ADR.

When the decoded command field DCB fails the error check, the slave buscontroller 108 aborts the group write command. On the other hand,assuming that the group write command COM2 is a broadcast write command,the decoded command identifier subfield identifies a broadcast writecommand when the decoded command field DCB passes the error check sincethe decoded command identifier subfield is an accurate copy of thecommand identifier subfield in the command field CB2 of the group writecommand COM2. As such, the slave bus controller 108 prepares to write tothe memory address in the memory device 154 identified by the decodedaddress field of the decoded command field DCB. However, when the groupwrite command COM2 is a subgroup write command, the decoded commandidentifier subfield identifies a subgroup write command when the decodedcommand field DCB passes the error check. As such, when the decodedslave identifier subfield of the decoded command field DCB identifies asubcombination that does not include the slave bus controller 108, theslave bus controller 108 ignores the remainder of the group write dataframe 232. However, the slave bus controller 108 prepares to write tothe memory address in the memory device 154 identified by the decodedaddress field of the decoded command field DCB when the decoded slaveidentifier subfield of the decoded command field DCB identifies asubcombination that does includes the slave bus controller 108.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108X, the decoder 10X in thedata demodulator 208X of the slave bus controller 108X is operable toreceive the set of data pulses within the input data signal SDATAtransmitted during the error code subframe CRC1. As such, the decoder10X of the data demodulator 208X in the slave bus controller 108X isconfigured to decode the set of data pulses representing the error codeCRCA into a decoded error code DCRCAX in accordance with the PWM busprotocol. The decoded error code DCRCAX is also stored within the dataframe registers 212X. Additionally, an error detection circuit EDCSX ofthe data demodulator 208X in the slave bus controller 108X is configuredto generate an error code CRCSAX based on the decoded command field DCBXprovided from the data frame registers 212X. More specifically, theerror detection circuit EDCSX of the data demodulator 208X in the slavebus controller 108X is configured to generate the error code CRCSAXbased on the decoded command field DCBX, which was decoded by thedecoder 10X from the set of data pulses representing the command fieldCB2 of the group write command COM2.

The error detection circuit EDCSX is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded command field DCBX by comparing the decoded errorcode DCRCAX with the error code CRCSAX. More specifically, the errordetection circuit EDCSX is operable to compare the decoded error codeDCRCAX with the error code CRCSAX. Based on a correspondence between thedecoded error code DCRCAX and the error code CRCSAX, the error detectioncircuit EDCSX of the data demodulator 208X in the slave bus controller108X detects whether there is an error in the decoded command fieldDCBX. When the correspondence between the decoded error code DCRCAX andthe error code CRCSAX has a specified relationship, no error is detectedby the EDCSX in the decoded command field DCBX and the decoded commandfield DCBX passes the error check. In one example, the error detectioncircuit EDCSX is configured to compare the decoded error code DCRCAX andthe error code CRCSAX to determine whether the decoded error code DCRCAXand the error code CRCSAX match. When the decoded error code DCRCAX andthe error code CRCSAX match, the decoded command field DCBX passes theerror check. However, when the decoded error code DCRCAX and the errorcode CRCSAX do not match, then the decoded command field DCBX fails theerror check. For example, the error detection circuit EDCSX of the datademodulator 208X in the slave bus controller 108X is configured togenerate the error code CRCSAX based on the decoded command field DCBX,which should be a copy of the command field CB2 of the data commandCOM2. When the error code DCRCAX and the error code CRCSAX do not match,the decoded command field DCBX fails the error check, and the decodedcommand field DCBX is not an accurate copy of the command field CB2.However, when the error code DCRCAX and the error code CRCSAX match, thedecoded command field DCBX passes the error check. The decoded commandfield DCBX is thus an accurate copy of the command field CB2. In thismanner, the error detection circuit EDCSX is configured to detectwhether the set of data pulses representing the command field CB2 weredecoded appropriately.

When the error detection circuit EDCSX detects an error in the decodedcommand field DCBX and the decoded command field fails the error check,the slave bus controller 108X aborts the group write command COM2. Whenno error is detected in the decoded command field DCBX and the decodedcommand field DCBX passes the error check, the decoded command fieldDCBX and the command field CB2 of the group write command COM2 match. Assuch, the decoded command field DCBX will include a decoded slaveidentifier subfield that is a copy of the slave identifier subfield ofthe command field CB2 represented during the slave identifier subframeUSID. The decoded command field DCBX will include a decoded commandidentifier subfield that is a copy of the command identifier subfield ofthe command field CB2 represented during the command identifier subframeCMD. Thus, in this example, the decoded command identifier subfieldrequests a group write bus operation. The decoded command field DCBXwill also include a decoded address subfield that is a copy of theaddress subfield of the command field CB2 represented during the addresssubframe ADR.

When the decoded command field DCBX fails the error check, the slave buscontroller 108X aborts the group write command. On the other hand,assuming that the group write command COM2 is a broadcast write command,the decoded command identifier subfield identifies a broadcast writecommand when the decoded command field DCBX passes the error check,since the decoded command identifier subfield is an accurate copy of thecommand identifier subfield in the command field CB2 of the group writecommand COM2. As such, the slave bus controller 108X prepares to writeto the memory address in the memory device 154X identified by thedecoded address field of the decoded command field DCBX. However, whenthe group write command COM2 is a subgroup write command, the decodedcommand identifier subfield identifies a subgroup write command when thedecoded command field DCBX passes the error check. As such, when thedecoded slave identifier subfield of the decoded command field DCBXidentifies a subcombination that does not include the slave buscontroller 108X, the slave bus controller 108X ignores the remainder ofthe group write data frame 232. However, the slave bus controller 108Xprepares to write to the memory address in the memory device 154Xidentified by the decoded address field of the decoded command fieldDCBX when the decoded slave identifier subfield of the decoded commandfield DCBX identifies a subcombination that does includes the slave buscontroller 108X.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108Y, the decoder 10Y in thedata demodulator 208Y of the slave bus controller 108Y is operable toreceive the set of data pulses within the input data signal SDATAtransmitted during the error code subframe CRC1. As such, the decoder10Y of the data demodulator 208Y in the slave bus controller 108Y isconfigured to decode the set of data pulses representing the error codeCRCA into a decoded error code DCRCAY in accordance with the PWM busprotocol. The decoded error code DCRCAY is also stored within the dataframe registers 212Y. Additionally, an error detection circuit EDCSY ofthe data demodulator 208Y in the slave bus controller 108Y is configuredto generate an error code CRCSAY based on the decoded command field DCBYprovided from the data frame registers 212Y. More specifically, theerror detection circuit EDCSY of the data demodulator 208Y in the slavebus controller 108Y is configured to generate the error code CRCSAYbased on the decoded command field DCBY, which was decoded by thedecoder 10Y from the set of data pulses representing the command fieldCB2 of the group write command COM2.

The error detection circuit EDCSY is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded command field DCBY by comparing the decoded errorcode DCRCAY with the error code CRCSAY. More specifically, the errordetection circuit EDCSY is operable to compare the decoded error codeDCRCAY with the error code CRCSAY. Based on a correspondence between thedecoded error code DCRCAY and the error code CRCSAY, the error detectioncircuit EDCSY of the data demodulator 208Y in the slave bus controller108Y detects whether there is an error in the decoded command fieldDCBY. When the correspondence between the decoded error code DCRCAY andthe error code CRCSAY has a specified relationship, no error is detectedby the EDCSY in the decoded command field DCBY and the decoded commandfield DCBY passes the error check. In one example, the error detectioncircuit EDCSY is configured to compare the decoded error code DCRCAY andthe error code CRCSAY to determine whether the decoded error code DCRCAYand the error code CRCSAY match. When the decoded error code DCRCAY andthe error code CRCSAY match, the decoded command field DCBY passes theerror check. However, when the decoded error code DCRCAY and the errorcode CRCSAY do not match then the decoded command field DCBY fails theerror check. For example, the error detection circuit EDCSY of the datademodulator 208Y in the slave bus controller 108Y is configured togenerate the error code CRCSAY based on the decoded command field DCBY,which should be a copy of the command field CB2 of the data commandCOM2. When the error code DCRCAY and the error code CRCSAY do not match,the decoded command field DCBY fails the error check and the decodedcommand field DCBY is not an accurate copy of the command field CB2.However, when the error code DCRCAY and the error code CRCSAY match, thedecoded command field DCBY passes the error check. The decoded commandfield DCBY is thus an accurate copy of the command field CB2. In thismanner, the error detection circuit EDCSY is configured to detectwhether the set of data pulses representing the command field CB2 weredecoded appropriately.

When the error detection circuit EDCSY detects an error in the decodedcommand field DCBY and the decoded command field fails the error check,the slave bus controller 108Y aborts the group write command COM2. Whenno error is detected in the decoded command field DCBY and the decodedcommand field DCBY passes the error check, the decoded command fieldDCBY and the command field CB2 of the group write command COM2 match. Assuch, the decoded command field DCBY will include a decoded slaveidentifier subfield that is a copy of the slave identifier subfield ofthe command field CB2 represented during the slave identifier subframeUSID. The decoded command field DCBY will include a decoded commandidentifier subfield that is a copy of the command identifier subfield ofthe command field CB2 represented during the command identifier subframeCMD. Thus, in this example, the decoded command identifier subfieldrequests a group write bus operation. The decoded command field DCBYwill also include a decoded address subfield that is a copy of theaddress subfield of the command field CB2 represented during the addresssubframe ADR.

When the decoded command field DCBY fails the error check, the slave buscontroller 108Y aborts the group write command. On the other hand,assuming that the group write command COM2 is a broadcast write command,the decoded command identifier subfield identifies a broadcast writecommand when the decoded command field DCBY passes the error check sincethe decoded command identifier subfield is an accurate copy of thecommand identifier subfield in the command field CB2 of the group writecommand COM2. As such, the slave bus controller 108Y prepares to writeto the memory address in the memory device 154Y identified by thedecoded address field of the decoded command field DCBY. However, whenthe group write command COM2 is a subgroup write command, the decodedcommand identifier subfield identifies a subgroup write command when thedecoded command field DCBY passes the error check. As such, when thedecoded slave identifier subfield of the decoded command field DCBYidentifies a subcombination that does not include the slave buscontroller 108Y, the slave bus controller 108Y ignores the remainder ofthe group write data frame 232. However, the slave bus controller 108Yprepares to write to the memory address in the memory device 154Yidentified by the decoded address field of the decoded command fieldDCBY when the decoded slave identifier subfield of the decoded commandfield DCBY identifies a subcombination that does includes the slave buscontroller 108Y.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108Z, the decoder 10Z in thedata demodulator 208Z of the slave bus controller 108Z is operable toreceive the set of data pulses within the input data signal SDATAtransmitted during the error code subframe CRC1. As such, the decoder10Z of the data demodulator 208Z in the slave bus controller 108Z isconfigured to decode the set of data pulses representing the error codeCRCA into a decoded error code DCRCAZ in accordance with the PWM busprotocol. The decoded error code DCRCAZ is also stored within the dataframe registers 212Z. Additionally, an error detection circuit EDCSZ ofthe data demodulator 208Z in the slave bus controller 108Z is configuredto generate an error code CRCSAZ based on the decoded command field DCBZprovided from the data frame registers 212Z. More specifically, theerror detection circuit EDCSZ of the data demodulator 208Z in the slavebus controller 108Z is configured to generate the error code DCRCAZbased on the decoded command field DCBZ, which was decoded by thedecoder 10Z from the set of data pulses representing the command fieldCB2 of the group write command COM2.

The error detection circuit EDCSZ is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded command field DCBZ by comparing the decoded errorcode DCRCAZ with the error code CRCSAZ. More specifically, the errordetection circuit EDCSZ is operable to compare the decoded error codeDCRCAZ with the error code CRCSAZ. Based on a correspondence between thedecoded error code DCRCAZ and the error code CRCSAZ, the error detectioncircuit EDCSZ of the data demodulator 208Z in the slave bus controller108Z detects whether there is an error in the decoded command fieldDCBZ. When the correspondence between the decoded error code DCRCAZ andthe error code CRCSAZ have a specified relationship, no error isdetected by the EDCSZ in the decoded command field DCBZ and the decodedcommand field DCBZ passes the error check. In one example, the errordetection circuit EDCSZ is configured to compare the decoded error codeDCRCAZ and the error code CRCSAZ to determine whether the decoded errorcode DCRCAZ and the error code CRCSAZ match. When the decoded error codeDCRCAZ and the error code CRCSAZ match, the decoded command field DCBZpasses the error check. However, when the decoded error code DCRCAZ andthe error code CRCSAZ do not match then the decoded command field DCBZfails the error check. For example, the error detection circuit EDCSZ ofthe data demodulator 208Z in the slave bus controller 108Z is configuredto generate the error code CRCSAZ based on the decoded command fieldDCBZ, which should be a copy of the command field CB2 of the datacommand COM2. When the error code DCRCAZ and the error code CRCSAZ donot match, the decoded command field DCBZ fails the error check and thedecoded command field DCBZ is not an accurate copy of the command fieldCB2. However, when the error code DCRCAZ and the error code CRCSAZmatch, the decoded command field DCBZ passes the error check. Thedecoded command field DCBZ is thus an accurate copy of the command fieldCB2. In this manner, the error detection circuit EDCSZ is configured todetect whether the set of data pulses representing the command field CB2were decoded appropriately.

When the error detection circuit EDCSZ detects an error in the decodedcommand field DCBZ and the decoded command field fails the error check,the slave bus controller 108Z aborts the group write command COM2. Whenno error is detected in the decoded command field DCBZ and the decodedcommand field DCBZ passes the error check, the decoded command fieldDCBZ and the command field CB2 of the group write command COM2 match. Assuch, the decoded command field DCBZ will include a decoded slaveidentifier subfield that is a copy of the slave identifier subfield ofthe command field CB2 represented during the slave identifier subframeUSID. The decoded command field DCBZ will include a decoded commandidentifier subfield that is a copy of the command identifier subfield ofthe command field CB2 represented during the command identifier subframeCMD. Thus, in this example, the decoded command identifier subfieldrequests a group write bus operation. The decoded command field DCBZwill also include a decoded address subfield that is a copy of theaddress subfield of the command field CB2 represented during the addresssubframe ADR.

When the decoded command field DCBZ fails the error check, the slave buscontroller 108Z aborts the group write command. On the other hand,assuming that the group write command COM2 is a broadcast write command,the decoded command identifier subfield identifies a broadcast writecommand when the decoded command field DCBZ passes the error check sincethe decoded command identifier subfield is an accurate copy of thecommand identifier subfield in the command field CB2 of the group writecommand COM2. As such, the slave bus controller 108Z prepares to writeto the memory address in the memory device 154Z identified by thedecoded address field of the decoded command field DCBZ. However, whenthe group write command COM2 is a subgroup write command, the decodedcommand identifier subfield identifies a subgroup write command when thedecoded command field DCBZ passes the error check. As such, when thedecoded slave identifier subfield of the decoded command field DCBZidentifies a subcombination that does not include the slave buscontroller 108Z, the slave bus controller 108Z ignores the remainder ofthe group write data frame 232. However, the slave bus controller 108Zprepares to write to the memory address in the memory device 154Zidentified by the decoded address field of the decoded command fieldDCBZ when the decoded slave identifier subfield of the decoded commandfield DCBZ identifies a subcombination that does includes the slave buscontroller 108Z.

Referring again to FIGS. 15 and 16, after the error code subframe CRC1,the group write data frame 232 has the master payload subframe MPAYLOAD.During the master payload subframe MPAYLOAD, the master bus controller110 is configured to generate a set of data pulses along the bus line 12within the input data signal SDATA representing the payload segment MPB2of the group write command COM2. More specifically, the data modulator126 of the master bus controller 110 is configured to generate the setof data pulses along the bus line 12 within the input data signal SDATArepresenting the payload segment MPB2. The data modulator 126 isconfigured to generate the set of data pulses representing the payloadsegment MPB2 in accordance with the PWM bus protocol.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108, the data demodulator 208of the slave bus controller 108 is operable to receive the set of datapulses within the input data signal SDATA that were transmitted duringthe master payload subframe MPAYLOAD. The decoder 10 in the datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is configured to decodethe set of data pulses into the decoded payload segment DMPB inaccordance with the PWM bus protocol. The data frame registers 212 areconfigured to store the decoded payload segment DMPB. Thus, the datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is configured togenerate the decoded payload segment DMPB based on the set of datapulses representing the payload segment MPB2 of the group write commandCOM2.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108X, the data demodulator 208Xof the slave bus controller 108X is operable to receive the set of datapulses within the input data signal SDATA that were transmitted duringthe master payload subframe MPAYLOAD. The decoder 10X in the datademodulator 208X of the slave bus controller 108X is configured todecode the set of data pulses into a decoded payload segment DMPB inaccordance with the PWM bus protocol. The data frame registers 212X areconfigured to store the decoded payload segment DMPB. Thus, the datademodulator 208X of the slave bus controller 108X is configured togenerate the decoded payload segment DMPB based on the set of datapulses representing the payload segment MPB2 of the group write commandCOM2.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108Y, the data demodulator 208Yof the slave bus controller 108Y is operable to receive the set of datapulses within the input data signal SDATA that were transmitted duringthe master payload subframe MPAYLOAD. The decoder 10Y in the datademodulator 208Y of the slave bus controller 108Y is configured todecode the set of data pulses into a decoded payload segment DMPBY inaccordance with the PWM bus protocol. The data frame registers 212Y areconfigured to store the decoded payload segment DMPBY. Thus, the datademodulator 208Y of the slave bus controller 108Y is configured togenerate the decoded payload segment DMPBY based on the set of datapulses representing the payload segment MPB2 of the group write commandCOM2.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108Z, the data demodulator 208Zof the slave bus controller 108Z is operable to receive the set of datapulses within the input data signal SDATA that were transmitted duringthe master payload subframe MPAYLOAD. The decoder 10Z in the datademodulator 208Z of the slave bus controller 108Z is configured todecode the set of data pulses into a decoded payload segment DMPBZ inaccordance with the PWM bus protocol. The data frame registers 212Z areconfigured to store the decoded payload segment DMPBZ. Thus, the datademodulator 208Z of the slave bus controller 108Z is configured togenerate the decoded payload segment DMPBZ based on the set of datapulses representing the payload segment MPB2 of the group write commandCOM2.

The group write data frame 232 shown in FIG. 16 then includes the errorcode subframe CRC3. The error coding circuit ECCM in the master buscontroller 110 of the master bus controller 110 is configured togenerate the error code CRCC based on the payload segment MPB2 of thegroup write command COM2. To generate the error code CRCC, the errorcoding circuit ECCM within the data modulator 126 of the master buscontroller 110 is configured to apply an error check algorithm to thepayload segment MPB2. Thus, the error coding circuit ECCM shown in FIG.15 is configured to implement the CRC algorithm on the payload segmentMPB2 in order to generate the error code CRCC. During the error codesubframe CRC3, the data modulator 126 of the master bus controller 110is configured to generate a set of data pulses along the bus line 12within the input data signal SDATA along the bus line 12 representingthe error code CRCC in accordance with the PWM bus protocol.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108, the decoder 10 in the datademodulator 208 of the slave bus controller 108 is operable to receivethe set of data pulses within the input data signal SDATA that weretransmitted during the error code frame CRC3 along the bus line 12. Thedecoder 10 of the data demodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108is configured to decode the set of data pulses representing the errorcode CRCC into the decoded error code DCRCC in accordance with the PWMbus protocol. The decoded error code DCRCC is also stored within thedata frame registers 212. Additionally, the error detection circuit EDCSof the data demodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108 isconfigured to generate the error code CRCSC based on the decoded payloadsegment DMPB provided from the data frame registers 212. In thisembodiment, the error detection circuit EDCS is configured to implementthe CRC algorithm on the decoded payload segment DMPB to generate theerror code CRCSC as a CRC.

The error detection circuit EDCS is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded payload segment DMPB by comparing the decoded errorcode DCRCC with the error code CRCSC. More specifically, the errordetection circuit EDCS is operable to compare the decoded error codeDCRCC with the error code CRCSC. Based on a correspondence between thedecoded error code DCRCC and the error code CRCSC, the error detectioncircuit EDCS of the data demodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108detects whether there is an error in the decoded payload segment DMPB.When the correspondence between the decoded error code DCRCC and theerror code CRCSC have a specified relationship, no error is detected bythe EDCS in the decoded payload segment DMPB and the decoded payloadsegment DMPB passes the error check. In one example, the error detectioncircuit EDCS is configured to compare the decoded error code DCRCC andthe error code CRCSC to determine whether the decoded error code DCRCCand the error code CRCSC match. When the decoded error code DCRCC andthe error code CRCSC match, the decoded payload segment DMPB passes theerror check. However, when the decoded error code DCRCC and the errorcode CRCSC don't match then the decoded payload segment DMPB fails theerror check. For example, the error detection circuit EDCS of the datademodulator 208 in the slave bus controller 108 is configured togenerate the error code CRCSC based on the decoded payload segment DMPB,which should be a copy of the payload segment MPB2 of the data commandCM2. When the error code DCRCC and the error code CRCSC do not match,the decoded payload segment DMPB fails the error check and the decodedpayload segment DMPB is not an accurate copy of the payload segmentMPB2. However, when the error code DCRCC and the error code CRCSC match,the decoded payload segment DMPB passes the error check. The decodedpayload segment DMPB is thus an accurate copy of the payload segmentMPB2. In this manner, the error detection circuit EDCS is configured todetect whether the set of data pulses representing the payload segmentMPB2 were decoded appropriately.

When no error is detected in the decoded payload segment DMPB and theerror check is passed, the slave bus controller 108 is configured tostore the decoded payload segment DMPB within the memory device 154.More specifically, the data demodulator 208 is configured to pass thedecoded payload segment DMPB and the decoded address subfield of thedecoded command field to the memory device 154. The memory device 154 isthen operable to store the decoded payload segment DMPB in the slavedata 214 at the memory address of the memory device 154 that isidentified by the decoded address subfield. However, when an error isdetected in the decoded payload segment DMPB and the error check fails,the decoded payload segment DMPB is not stored in the slave data 214 ofthe memory device 154.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108X, the decoder 10X in thedata demodulator 208X of the slave bus controller 108X is operable toreceive the set of data pulses within the input data signal SDATA thatwere transmitted during the error code frame CRC3 along the bus line 12.The decoder 10X of the data demodulator 208X in the slave bus controller108X is configured to decode the set of data pulses representing theerror code CRCC into the decoded error code DCRCCX in accordance withthe PWM bus protocol. The decoded error code DCRCCX is also storedwithin the data frame registers 212X. Additionally, the error detectioncircuit EDCSX of the data demodulator 208X in the slave bus controller108X is configured to generate an error code CRCSCX based on the decodedpayload segment DMPBX provided from the data frame registers 212X. Inthis embodiment, the error detection circuit EDCSX is configured toimplement the CRC algorithm on the decoded payload segment DMPBX togenerate the error code CRCSCX as a CRC.

The error detection circuit EDCSX is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded payload segment DMPBX by comparing the decodederror code DCRCCX with the error code CRCSCX. More specifically, theerror detection circuit EDCSX is operable to compare the decoded errorcode DCRCCX with the error code CRCSCX. Based on a correspondencebetween the decoded error code DCRCCX and the error code CRCSCX, theerror detection circuit EDCSX of the data demodulator 208X in the slavebus controller 108X detects whether there is an error in the decodedpayload segment DMPBX. When the correspondence between the decoded errorcode DCRCCX and the error code CRCSCX have a specified relationship, noerror is detected by the EDCSX in the decoded payload segment DMPBX andthe decoded payload segment DMPBX passes the error check. In oneexample, the error detection circuit EDCSX is configured to compare thedecoded error code DCRCCX and the error code CRCSCX to determine whetherthe decoded error code DCRCCX and the error code CRCSCX match. When thedecoded error code DCRCCX and the error code CRCSCX match, the decodedpayload segment DMPBX passes the error check. However, when the decodederror code DCRCCX and the error code CRCSCX don't match then the decodedpayload segment DMPBX fails the error check. For example, the errordetection circuit EDCSX of the data demodulator 208X in the slave buscontroller 108X is configured to generate the error code CRCSCX based onthe decoded payload segment DMPBX, which should be a copy of the payloadsegment MPB2 of the data command CM2. When the error code DCRCCX and theerror code CRCSCX do not match, the decoded payload segment DMPBX failsthe error check and the decoded payload segment DMPBX is not an accuratecopy of the payload segment MPB2. However, when the error code DCRCCXand the error code CRCSCX match, the decoded payload segment DMPBXpasses the error check. The decoded payload segment DMPBX is thus anaccurate copy of the payload segment MPB2. In this manner, the errordetection circuit EDCSX is configured to detect whether the set of datapulses representing the payload segment MPB2 were decoded appropriately.

When no error is detected in the decoded payload segment DMPBX and theerror check is passed, the slave bus controller 108X is configured tostore the decoded payload segment DMPBX within the memory device 154X.More specifically, the data demodulator 208X is configured to pass thedecoded payload segment DMPBX and the decoded address subfield of thedecoded command field to the memory device 154X. The memory device 154Xis then operable to store the decoded payload segment DMPBX in the slavedata 214X at the memory address of the memory device 154X that isidentified by the decoded address subfield. However, when an error isdetected in the decoded payload segment DMPBX and the error check fails,the decoded payload segment DMPBX is not stored in the slave data 214Xof the memory device 154X.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108Y, the decoder 10Y in thedata demodulator 208Y of the slave bus controller 108Y is operable toreceive the set of data pulses within the input data signal SDATA thatwere transmitted during the error code frame CRC3 along the bus line 12.The decoder 10Y of the data demodulator 208Y in the slave bus controller108Y is configured to decode the set of data pulses representing theerror code CRCC into the decoded error code DCRCCY in accordance withthe PWM bus protocol. The decoded error code DCRCCY is also storedwithin the data frame registers 212Y. Additionally, the error detectioncircuit EDCSY of the data demodulator 208Y in the slave bus controller108Y is configured to generate an error code CRCSCY based on the decodedpayload segment DMPBY provided from the data frame registers 212Y. Inthis embodiment, the error detection circuit EDCSY is configured toimplement the CRC algorithm on the decoded payload segment DMPBY togenerate the error code CRCSCY as a CRC.

The error detection circuit EDCSY is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded payload segment DMPBY by comparing the decodederror code DCRCCY with the error code CRCSCY. More specifically, theerror detection circuit EDCSY is operable to compare the decoded errorcode DCRCCY with the error code CRCSCY. Based on a correspondencebetween the decoded error code DCRCCY and the error code CRCSCY, theerror detection circuit EDCSY of the data demodulator 208Y in the slavebus controller 108Y detects whether there is an error in the decodedpayload segment DMPBY. When the correspondence between the decoded errorcode DCRCCY and the error code CRCSCY have a specified relationship, noerror is detected by the EDCSY in the decoded payload segment DMPBY andthe decoded payload segment DMPBY passes the error check. In oneexample, the error detection circuit EDCSY is configured to compare thedecoded error code DCRCCY and the error code CRCSCY to determine whetherthe decoded error code DCRCCY and the error code CRCSCY match. When thedecoded error code DCRCCY and the error code CRCSCY match, the decodedpayload segment DMPBY passes the error check. However, when the decodederror code DCRCCY and the error code CRCSCY don't match then the decodedpayload segment DMPBY fails the error check. For example, the errordetection circuit EDCSY of the data demodulator 208Y in the slave buscontroller 108Y is configured to generate the error code CRCSCY based onthe decoded payload segment DMPBY, which should be a copy of the payloadsegment MPB2 of the data command CM2. When the error code DCRCCY and theerror code CRCSCY do not match, the decoded payload segment DMPBY failsthe error check and the decoded payload segment DMPBY is not an accuratecopy of the payload segment MPB2. However, when the error code DCRCCYand the error code CRCSCY match, the decoded payload segment DMPBYpasses the error check. The decoded payload segment DMPBY is thus anaccurate copy of the payload segment MPB2. In this manner, the errordetection circuit EDCSY is configured to detect whether the set of datapulses representing the payload segment MPB2 were decoded appropriately.

When no error is detected in the decoded payload segment DMPBY and theerror check is passed, the slave bus controller 108Y is configured tostore the decoded payload segment DMPBY within the memory device 154Y.More specifically, the data demodulator 208Y is configured to pass thedecoded payload segment DMPBY and the decoded address subfield of thedecoded command field to the memory device 154Y. The memory device 154Yis then operable to store the decoded payload segment DMPBY in the slavedata 214Y at the memory address of the memory device 154Y that isidentified by the decoded address subfield. However, when an error isdetected in the decoded payload segment DMPBY and the error check fails,the decoded payload segment DMPBY is not stored in the slave data 214Yof the memory device 154Y.

With regards to the slave bus controller 108Z, the decoder 10Z in thedata demodulator 208Z of the slave bus controller 108Z is operable toreceive the set of data pulses within the input data signal SDATA thatwere transmitted during the error code frame CRC3 along the bus line 12.The decoder 10Z of the data demodulator 208Z in the slave bus controller108Z is configured to decode the set of data pulses representing theerror code CRCC into the decoded error code DCRCCZ in accordance withthe PWM bus protocol. The decoded error code DCRCCZ is also storedwithin the data frame registers 212Z. Additionally, the error detectioncircuit EDCSZ of the data demodulator 208Z in the slave bus controller108Z is configured to generate an error code CRCSCZ based on the decodedpayload segment DMPBZ provided from the data frame registers 212Z. Inthis embodiment, the error detection circuit EDCSZ is configured toimplement the CRC algorithm on the decoded payload segment DMPBZ togenerate the error code CRCSCZ as a CRC.

The error detection circuit EDCSZ is then configured to perform an errorcheck on the decoded payload segment DMPBZ by comparing the decodederror code DCRCCZ with the error code CRCSCZ. More specifically, theerror detection circuit EDCSZ is operable to compare the decoded errorcode DCRCCZ with the error code CRCSCZ. Based on a correspondencebetween the decoded error code DCRCCZ and the error code CRCSCZ, theerror detection circuit EDCSZ of the data demodulator 208Z in the slavebus controller 108Z detects whether there is an error in the decodedpayload segment DMPBZ. When the correspondence between the decoded errorcode DCRCCZ and the error code CRCSCZ have a specified relationship, noerror is detected by the EDCSZ in the decoded payload segment DMPBZ andthe decoded payload segment DMPBZ passes the error check. In oneexample, the error detection circuit EDCSZ is configured to compare thedecoded error code DCRCCZ and the error code CRCSCZ to determine whetherthe decoded error code DCRCCZ and the error code CRCSCZ match. When thedecoded error code DCRCCZ and the error code CRCSCZ match, the decodedpayload segment DMPBZ passes the error check. However, when the decodederror code DCRCCZ and the error code CRCSCZ don't match then the decodedpayload segment DMPBZ fails the error check. For example, the errordetection circuit EDCSZ of the data demodulator 208Z in the slave buscontroller 108Z is configured to generate the error code CRCSCZ based onthe decoded payload segment DMPBZ, which should be a copy of the payloadsegment MPB2 of the data command CM2. When the error code DCRCCZ and theerror code CRCSCZ do not match, the decoded payload segment DMPBZ failsthe error check and the decoded payload segment DMPBZ is not an accuratecopy of the payload segment MPB2. However, when the error code DCRCCZand the error code CRCSCZ match, the decoded payload segment DMPBZpasses the error check. The decoded payload segment DMPBZ is thus anaccurate copy of the payload segment MPB2. In this manner, the errordetection circuit EDCSZ is configured to detect whether the set of datapulses representing the payload segment MPB2 were decoded appropriately.

When no error is detected in the decoded payload segment DMPBZ and theerror check is passed, the slave bus controller 108Z is configured tostore the decoded payload segment DMPBZ within the memory device 154Z.More specifically, the data demodulator 208Z is configured to pass thedecoded payload segment DMPBZ and the decoded address subfield of thedecoded command field to the memory device 154Z. The memory device 154Zis then operable to store the decoded payload segment DMPBZ in the slavedata 214Z at the memory address of the memory device 154Z that isidentified by the decoded address subfield. However, when an error isdetected in the decoded payload segment DMPBZ and the error check fails,the decoded payload segment DMPBZ is not stored in the slave data 214Zof the memory device 154Z.

Referring again to FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, after the error code subframeCRC3, the group write data frame 232 includes a bus park subframe BP3.During a bus park subframe BP3, the data modulator 126 of the master buscontroller 110 transfers control of the bus line 12 to the slave buscontrollers 108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Z. The data modulator 126 isconfigured to generate the enable signal MEN so that the bidirectionalbuffer 132 allows the slave bus controllers 108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Z tocommunicate along the bus line 12. The master bus controller 110 isconfigured to tristate the input data signal SDATA so that a passivepull down is provided to the bus line 12. The master bus controller 110is configured to pull the bus line 12 back up and transfer control ofthe bus line 12 to the slave bus controller 108. The master buscontroller 110 then monitors the bus line 12 after pulling up the busline 12. When the slave bus controller 108 is operating appropriately,the slave bus controller 108 will maintain the bus line 12 pulled up andthen pull down the bus line 12. This creates a falling edge. Thus, whenthe master bus controller 110 detects the falling edge created by theslave bus controller 108 within the error tolerance window, the masterbus controller 110 detects that the slave bus controller 108 isoperating appropriately.

Referring again to FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the group write data frame 232shown in FIG. 16 then includes the acknowledgement subframe ACK1, theacknowledgement subframe ACK2, the acknowledgment subframe ACK3, and theacknowledgement subframe ACK4. Each of the acknowledgement subframeACK1, the acknowledgement subframe ACK2, the acknowledgment subframeACK3, and the acknowledgement subframe ACK4 is a subframe where one ofthe slave bus controllers 108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Z can provideacknowledgment signals ACK, ACKX, ACKY, and ACKZ, as explained infurther detail below. More specifically, the bus interface system 109 isconfigured to operate in a round robin acknowledgement configuration.With a round robin acknowledgement configuration, each of the slave buscontrollers 108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Z are configured to provide theacknowledgment signals ACK, ACKX, ACKY, and ACKZ in a sequential order.For the sake of clarity and this explanation, the sequential order ispresumed to correspond to the physical order of the slave buscontrollers 108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Z as shown in FIG. 15. In thisembodiment, each of the slave bus controllers 108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Zis also triggered along the bus line 12 to generate the acknowledgmentsignals ACK, ACKX, ACKY, and ACKZ in sequential order.

For the sake of this explanation, the slave bus controller 108 isconfigured to provide the acknowledgement signal ACK during theacknowledgement subframe ACK1. The slave bus controller 108X isconfigured to provide the acknowledgement signal ACKX during theacknowledgement subframe ACK2. The slave bus controller 108Y isconfigured to provide the acknowledgement signal ACKY during theacknowledgement subframe ACK3. The slave bus controller 108Z isconfigured to provide the acknowledgement signal ACKZ during theacknowledgement subframe ACK4. The slave bus controller 108 is thus aninitial slave bus controller in the sequential order. The slave buscontroller 108X is thus an intermediate slave bus controller and next inthe sequential order after the initial slave bus controller. The slavebus controller 108Y is also an intermediate slave bus controller andnext in the sequential order after the previous intermediate slave buscontroller. Finally, the slave bus controller 108Z is thus a final slavebus controller in the sequential order.

However, this particular sequential ordering may or may not be the case.The sequential order may actually be in any other order and thus wouldnot correspond with the physical order of the slave bus controllers 108,108X, 108Y, and 108Z as shown in FIG. 15. In fact, the bus interfacesystem 109 in this embodiment is configured so that the sequential orderis programmable rather than being fixed. For example, at startup, themaster bus controller 110 may transmit data pulses representing an orderparameter to each of the slave bus controllers 108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Zalong the bus that that indicates to each of the slave bus controllers108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Z their position in the sequential order. Inthis manner, the slave bus controllers 108, 108X, 108Y, and 108Z areassigned a different one of the acknowledgement subframes ACK1, ACK2,ACK3, and ACK4 in which to provide the their respective acknowledgementsignals ACK, ACKX, ACKY, and ACKZ.

Continuing on with the example, the slave bus controller 108 isconfigured to generate the acknowledgement signal ACK during theacknowledgement subframe ACK1. The slave bus controller 108 is theinitial slave bus controller in this example. Accordingly, in thisembodiment, the slave bus controller 108 is triggered to generate theacknowledgement signal ACK by the master bus controller 110. Inparticular, the slave bus controller is triggered to generate theacknowledgement signal ACK by the falling edge of a negative triggerpulse BPP generated by the master bus controller 110 during the bus parksubframe BP3.

During the acknowledgment subframe ACK1, the acknowledge generator 228of the slave bus controller 108 is configured to generate theacknowledgement pulse with the acknowledgement signal ACK along the busline 12 in response to the decoded payload segment DMPB passing theerror check. With acknowledgement pulse, the acknowledgement signal ACKindicates to the master bus controller 110 that the decoded payloadsegment DMPB passed the error check. More specifically, the errordetection circuit EDCS is configured to generate the error status signal230 so that the error status signal 230 indicates that the decodedpayload segment DMPB passed the error check. More specifically, oncebeing triggered along the bus line 12 by the master bus controller 110,the acknowledge generator 228 is configured to generate theacknowledgement signal ACK with the acknowledgment pulse in response tothe error status signal 230 indicating that the decoded payload segmentDMPB passed the error check. In this embodiment, the acknowledgmentpulse generated by the acknowledge generator 228 is a negative triggerpulse.

However, the acknowledge generator 228 of the slave bus controller 108is configured to so as to not generate the acknowledgement pulse withthe acknowledgement signal ACK along the bus line 12 in response to thedecoded payload segment DMPB failing the error check. Without theacknowledgement pulse, the acknowledgement signal ACK indicates that thedecoded payload segment DMPB failed the error check. More specifically,the error detection circuit EDCS is configured to generate the errorstatus signal 230 so that the error status signal 230 indicates that thedecoded payload segment DMPB failed the error check. More specifically,once being triggered along the bus line 12 by the master bus controller110, the acknowledge generator 228 is configured to generate theacknowledgement signal ACK without the acknowledgment pulse in responseto the error status signal 230 indicating that the decoded payloadsegment DMPB failed the error check. In this embodiment, theacknowledgment pulse generated by the acknowledge generator 228 is anegative trigger pulse.

The shadow register circuit 224 of the master bus controller 110 iscoupled to the bus line 12 and is configured to receive theacknowledgement signal ACK during the acknowledgement subframe ACK1. Inresponse to the acknowledgment pulse provided so that the acknowledgmentsignal ACK indicates that the decoded payload segment DMPB passed theerror check, the master bus controller 110 is configured to store thepayload segment MPB2 of the group write command COM2 in the memorydevice 202. More specifically, the shadow register circuit 224 isconfigured to pass the payload segment MPB1 stored within the shadowregisters 226 to the memory device 202. The memory device 202 isconfigured to store the payload segment MPB2 within the slave data image216W at the memory address identified by the address subfield of thecommand field CB2. Thus, the shadow register circuit 224 is configuredto pass the payload segment MPB2 to the memory device 202 in response toreceiving the acknowledgement pulse along the bus line 12 during theacknowledgement subframe ACK1.

In response to the decoded payload segment DMPB failing the error check,the acknowledge generator 228 of the slave bus controller 108 isconfigured to generate the acknowledgment signal ACK along the bus line12 so that the acknowledgement signal ACK indicates that the decodedpayload segment DMPB failed the error check. When the master buscontroller 110 does not receive the acknowledgement pulse and thus theacknowledgement signal ACK indicates that the decoded payload segmentDMPB failed the error check, the master bus controller 110 is configuredto generate a trigger pulse along the bus line 12 with the input datasignal SDATA. The payload segment MPB2 is also not stored with the slavedata image 216W.

With regard to the slave bus controller 108X, the slave bus controller108X is configured to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKX duringthe acknowledgement subframe ACK2. The slave bus controller 108X is thenext slave bus controller in the sequential order in this example.Accordingly, in this embodiment, the slave bus controller 108X istriggered to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKX by theacknowledgement pulse in the acknowledgement signal ACK from the slavebus controller 108. However, when the slave bus controller 108 does notgenerate the acknowledgment pulse during the acknowledgment subframeACK2, the slave bus controller 108X is triggered to generate theacknowledgement signal ACKX by the trigger pulse generated by the masterbus controller 110 along the bus line 12. As such, the slave buscontroller 108X does not get stuck when the slave bus controller 108does not provide the acknowledgement pulse within the acknowledgementsignal ACKX, and the group write data frame 232 can proceed inaccordance to the sequential order.

During the acknowledgment subframe ACK2, the acknowledge generator 228Xof the slave bus controller 108X is configured to generate theacknowledgement pulse with the acknowledgement signal ACKX along the busline 12 in response to the decoded payload segment DMPBX passing theerror check. With acknowledgement pulse, the acknowledgement signal ACKXindicates to the master bus controller 110 that the decoded payloadsegment DMPBX passed the error check. More specifically, the errordetection circuit ESCSX is configured to generate an error status signal230X so that the error status signal 230X indicates that the decodedpayload segment DMPBX passed the error check. More specifically, oncebeing triggered along the bus line 12 by the master bus controller 110,the acknowledge generator 228X is configured to generate theacknowledgement signal ACKX with the acknowledgment pulse in response tothe error status signal 230X indicating that the decoded payload segmentDMPBX passed the error check. In this embodiment, the acknowledgmentpulse generated by the acknowledge generator 228X is a negative triggerpulse.

However, the acknowledge generator 228X of the slave bus controller 108Xis configured to so as to not generate the acknowledgement pulse withthe acknowledgement signal ACKX along the bus line 12 in response to thedecoded payload segment DMPBX failing the error check. Without theacknowledgement pulse, the acknowledgement signal ACKX indicates thatthe decoded payload segment DMPBX failed the error check. Morespecifically, the error detection circuit ESCSX is configured togenerate the error status signal 230X so that the error status signal230X indicates that the decoded payload segment DMPBX failed the errorcheck. More specifically, once being triggered along the bus line 12 bythe master bus controller 110, the acknowledge generator 228X isconfigured to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKX without theacknowledgment pulse in response to the error status signal 230Xindicating that the decoded payload segment DMPBX failed the errorcheck. In this embodiment, the acknowledgment pulse generated by theacknowledge generator 228X is a negative trigger pulse.

The shadow register circuit 224 of the master bus controller 110 iscoupled to the bus line 12 and is configured to receive theacknowledgement signal ACKX during the acknowledgement subframe ACK2. Inresponse to the acknowledgment pulse provided so that the acknowledgmentsignal ACK indicates that the decoded payload segment DMPBX passed theerror check, the master bus controller 110 is configured to store thepayload segment MPB2 of the group write command COM2 in the memorydevice 202X. More specifically, the shadow register circuit 224 isconfigured to pass the payload segment MPB2 stored within the shadowregisters 226 to the memory device 202X. The memory device 202X isconfigured to store the payload segment MPB2 within the slave data image216X at the memory address identified by the address subfield of thecommand field CB2. Thus, the shadow register circuit 224 is configuredto pass the payload segment MPB2 to the memory device 202X in responseto receiving the acknowledgement pulse along the bus line 12 during theacknowledgement subframe ACK2.

In response to the decoded payload segment DMPBX failing the errorcheck, the acknowledge generator 228X of the slave bus controller 108Xis configured to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKX along the busline 12 so that the acknowledgement signal ACKX indicates that thedecoded payload segment DMPBX failed the error check. When the masterbus controller 110 does not receive the acknowledgement pulse and theacknowledgement signal ACKX indicates that the decoded payload segmentDMPBX failed the error check, the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to generate a trigger pulse along the bus line 12 with theinput data signal SDATA. The payload segment MPB2 is also not storedwith the slave data image 216X.

With regard to the slave bus controller 108Y, slave bus controller 108Yis configured to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKY during theacknowledgement subframe ACK3. The slave bus controller 108Y is the nextslave bus controller in the sequential order in this example.Accordingly, in this embodiment, the slave bus controller 108Y istriggered to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKY by theacknowledgement pulse in the acknowledgement signal ACKX from the slavebus controller 108X. However, when the slave bus controller 108 does notgenerate the acknowledgment pulse during the acknowledgment subframeACK3, the slave bus controller 108X is triggered to generate theacknowledgement signal ACKY by the trigger pulse generated by the masterbus controller 110 along the bus line 12. As such, the slave buscontroller 108Y does not get stuck when the slave bus controller 108does not provide the acknowledgement pulse within the and the groupwrite data frame 232 can proceed in accordance to the sequential order.

During the acknowledgment subframe ACK3, the acknowledge generator 228Yof the slave bus controller 108Y is configured to generate theacknowledgement pulse with the acknowledgement signal ACKY along the busline 12 in response to the decoded payload segment DMPBY passing theerror check. With acknowledgement pulse, the acknowledgement signal ACKYindicates to the master bus controller 110 that the decoded payloadsegment DMPBY passed the error check. More specifically, the errordetection circuit ESCSY is configured to generate an error status signal230Y so that the error status signal 230Y indicates that the decodedpayload segment DMPBY passed the error check. More specifically, oncebeing triggered along the bus line 12 by the master bus controller 110,the acknowledge generator 228Y is configured to generate theacknowledgement signal ACKY with the acknowledgment pulse in response tothe error status signal 230Y indicating that the decoded payload segmentDMPBY passed the error check. In this embodiment, the acknowledgmentpulse generated by the acknowledge generator 228Y is a negative triggerpulse.

However, the acknowledge generator 228Y of the slave bus controller 108Yis configured to so as to not generate the acknowledgement pulse withthe acknowledgement signal ACKY along the bus line 12 in response to thedecoded payload segment DMPBY failing the error check. Without theacknowledgement pulse, the acknowledgement signal ACKY indicates thatthe decoded payload segment DMPBY failed the error check. Morespecifically, the error detection circuit ESCSY is configured togenerate the error status signal 230Y so that the error status signal230Y indicates that the decoded payload segment DMPBY failed the errorcheck. More specifically, once being triggered along the bus line 12 bythe master bus controller 110, the acknowledge generator 228Y isconfigured to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKY without theacknowledgment pulse in response to the error status signal 230Yindicating that the decoded payload segment DMPBY failed the errorcheck. In this embodiment, the acknowledgment pulse generated by theacknowledge generator 228Y is a negative trigger pulse.

The shadow register circuit 224 of the master bus controller 110 iscoupled to the bus line 12 and is configured to receive theacknowledgement signal ACKY during the acknowledgement subframe ACK3. Inresponse to the acknowledgment pulse provided so that theacknowledgement signal ACK3 indicates that the decoded payload segmentDMPBY passed the error check, the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to store the payload segment MPB2 of the group write commandCOM2 in the memory device 202Y. More specifically, the shadow registercircuit 224 is configured to pass the payload segment MPB2 stored withinthe shadow registers 226 to the memory device 202Y. The memory device202Y is configured to store the payload segment MPB2 within the slavedata image 216Y at the memory address identified by the address subfieldof the command field CB2. Thus, the shadow register circuit 224 isconfigured to pass the payload segment MPB2 to the memory device 202Y inresponse to receiving the acknowledgement pulse along the bus line 12during the acknowledgement subframe ACK3.

In response to the decoded payload segment DMPBY failing the errorcheck, the acknowledge generator 228Y of the slave bus controller 108Yis configured to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKY along the busline 12 so that the acknowledgement signal ACKY indicates that thedecoded payload segment DMPBY failed the error check. When the masterbus controller 110 does not receive the acknowledgement pulse and thusthe acknowledgement signal ACKY indicates that the decoded payloadsegment DMPBY failed the error check, the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to generate a trigger pulse along the bus line 12 with theinput data signal SDATA. The payload segment MPB2 is also not storedwith the slave data image 216Y.

With regard to the slave bus controller 108Z, the slave bus controller108Z is configured to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKZ duringthe acknowledgement subframe ACK4. In this example, the slave buscontroller 108Z is the final slave bus controller in the sequentialorder. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the slave bus controller 108Z istriggered to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKZ by theacknowledgement pulse in the acknowledgement signal ACKY from the slavebus controller 108Y. However, when the slave bus controller 108Y doesnot generate the acknowledgment pulse during the acknowledgment subframeACK3, the master bus controller 110 is configured to generate a triggerpulse. As such, the slave bus controller 108Z does not get stuck and thegroup write data frame 232 can proceed in accordance to the sequentialorder.

During the acknowledgment subframe ACK4, the acknowledge generator 228Zof the slave bus controller 108Z is configured to generate theacknowledgement pulse with the acknowledgement signal ACKZ along the busline 12 in response to the decoded payload segment DMPBZ passing theerror check. With acknowledgement pulse, the acknowledgement signal ACKZindicates to the master bus controller 110 that the decoded payloadsegment DMPBZ passed the error check. More specifically, the errordetection circuit ESCSZ is configured to generate an error status signal230Z so that the error status signal 230Z indicates that the decodedpayload segment DMPBZ passed the error check. More specifically, oncebeing triggered along the bus line 12 by the master bus controller 110,the acknowledge generator 228Z is configured to generate theacknowledgement signal ACKZ with the acknowledgment pulse in response tothe error status signal 230Z indicating that the decoded payload segmentDMPBZ passed the error check. In this embodiment, the acknowledgmentpulse generated by the acknowledge generator 228Z is a negative triggerpulse.

However, the acknowledge generator 228Z of the slave bus controller 108Zis configured to so as to not generate the acknowledgement pulse withthe acknowledgement signal ACKZ along the bus line 12 in response to thedecoded payload segment DMPBZ failing the error check. Without theacknowledgement pulse, the acknowledgement signal ACKZ indicates thatthe decoded payload segment DMPBZ failed the error check. Morespecifically, the error detection circuit ESCSZ is configured togenerate the error status signal 230Z so that the error status signal230Z indicates that the decoded payload segment DMPBZ failed the errorcheck. More specifically, once being triggered along the bus line 12 bythe master bus controller 110, the acknowledge generator 228Z isconfigured to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKZ without theacknowledgment pulse in response to the error status signal 230Zindicating that the decoded payload segment DMPBZ failed the errorcheck. In this embodiment, the acknowledgment pulse generated by theacknowledge generator 228Z is a negative trigger pulse.

The shadow register circuit 224 of the master bus controller 110 iscoupled to the bus line 12 and is configured to receive theacknowledgement signal ACKZ during the acknowledgement subframe ACK4. Inresponse to the acknowledgment pulse provided so that theacknowledgement signal ACK4 indicates that the decoded payload segmentDMPBZ passed the error check, the master bus controller 110 isconfigured to store the payload segment MPB2 of the group write commandCOM2 in the memory device 202Z. More specifically, the shadow registercircuit 224 is configured to pass the payload segment MPB2 stored withinthe shadow registers 226 to the memory device 202Z. The memory device202Z is configured to store the payload segment MPB2 within the slavedata image 216Z at the memory address identified by the address subfieldof the command field CB2. Thus, the shadow register circuit 224 isconfigured to pass the payload segment MPB2 to the memory device 202Z inresponse to receiving the acknowledgement pulse along the bus line 12during the acknowledgement subframe ACK4.

In response to the decoded payload segment DMPBZ failing the errorcheck, the acknowledge generator 228Z of the slave bus controller 108Zis configured to generate the acknowledgement signal ACKZ along the busline 12 so that the acknowledgement signal ACKZ indicates that thedecoded payload segment DMPBZ failed the error check. When the masterbus controller 110 does not receive the acknowledgement pulse and thusthe acknowledgement signal ACKZ indicates that the decoded payloadsegment DMPBZ failed the error check, the payload segment MPB2 is alsonot stored with the slave data image 216Z.

FIG. 17 is a signal diagram illustrating signals of the bus interfacesystem 109 shown in FIG. 15 during one example of the bus park subframeBP3, the acknowledgement subframe ACK1, the acknowledgement subframeACK2, the acknowledgement subframe ACK3, and the acknowledgementsubframe ACK4. FIG. 17 illustrates the oscillation signal 142, a busvoltage BV of the bus line 12, a master output enabler (OE), a slave 1OE, a slave 2 OE, a slave 3 OE, and a slave 4 OE. The slave 1 OE is forthe initial slave bus controller in the sequential order, which in thisexample is the slave bus controller 108. The slave 2 OE is for the nextslave bus controller in the sequential order, which in this example isthe slave bus controller 108X. The slave 3 OE is for the subsequentslave bus controller in the sequential order, which in this example isthe slave bus controller 108Y. The slave 4 OE is for the final slave buscontroller in the sequential order, which in this example is the slavebus controller 108Z.

As shown in FIG. 17, the bus park subframe BP3 begins with the negativetrigger pulse BPP generated by the master bus controller 110 along thebus line 12 (shown in FIG. 15). Thus, the bus voltage BV is shown withthe negative trigger pulse BPP, which lasts for three oscillation pulsesof the oscillation signal 142. The slave bus controller 108 is triggeredby a falling edge of the negative trigger pulse BPP. The master buscontroller BV then pulls the bus voltage back up. After nine oscillationpulses, the master OE goes low and control of the bus voltage BV beginsto be transferred to the slave bus controller 108 for three oscillationpulses.

Since the slave bus controller 108 was triggered by the falling edge ofthe negative trigger pulse BPP, the acknowledgement subframe ACK1 beginsafter the twelve oscillation pulses of the bus park subframe BP3. Theslave 1 OE goes high. The slave bus controller 108 in this examplegenerates the acknowledgement pulse AP1 during the acknowledgementsubframe ACK1 for 3 oscillation pulses. The slave bus controller 108then pulls the bus voltage up for nine oscillation pulses. The slave buscontroller 108X is triggered by the falling edge of the acknowledgementpulse AP1.

Since the slave bus controller 108X was triggered by the falling edge ofthe acknowledgement pulse AP1, the acknowledgement subframe ACK2 beginsafter twelve oscillation pulses of the acknowledgement subframe ACK1.The slave 2 OE goes high. The slave bus controller 108X in this examplegenerates the acknowledgement pulse AP2 during the acknowledgementsubframe ACK1 for 3 oscillation pulses. The slave bus controller 108Xthen pulls the bus voltage up for nine oscillation pulses. The slave buscontroller 108Y is triggered by the falling edge of the acknowledgementpulse AP2.

Since the slave bus controller 108Y was triggered by the falling edge ofthe acknowledgement pulse AP2, the acknowledgement subframe ACK3 beginsafter twelve oscillation pulses of the acknowledgement subframe ACK2.The slave 3 OE goes high. The slave bus controller 108Y in this exampledoes not generate an acknowledgement pulse during the acknowledgementsubframe ACK3. Therefore, after the twelve oscillation pulses of theacknowledgement subframe ACK3, the master OE goes high again. The masterbus controller 110 then generates a trigger pulse TP. In this manner,the slave bus controller 108Z is triggered by the falling edge of thetrigger pulse TP.

Since the slave bus controller 108Z was triggered by the falling edge ofthe trigger pulse TP, the acknowledgement subframe ACK4 begins twelveoscillation pulses after the falling edge of the trigger pulse TP. Theslave 4 OE goes high. The slave bus controller 108Z in this examplegenerates the acknowledgement pulse AP4 during the acknowledgementsubframe ACK4 for 3 oscillation pulses. The slave bus controller 108Zthen pulls the bus voltage up for nine oscillation pulses. Theacknowledgement subframe ACK4 then ends.

Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements and modificationsto the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. All suchimprovements and modifications are considered within the scope of theconcepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A slave bus controller comprising: a datademodulator configured to: decode a first set of data pulsesrepresenting a payload segment into a decoded payload segment; andperform a first error check on the decoded payload segment; and anacknowledgment generator configured to be triggered to generate anacknowledgement signal by a trigger pulse, which is generated by anotherslave bus controller in response to an error check of a decoded payloadsegment decoded from the first set of data pulses representing thepayload segment, and to generate the acknowledgement signal so that theacknowledgement signal indicates whether the decoded payload segmentpassed the first error check.
 2. The slave bus controller of claim 1wherein the acknowledgement generator is configured to generate anacknowledgment pulse in the acknowledgement signal so that theacknowledgement signal indicates that the decoded payload segment passedthe first error check.
 3. The slave bus controller of claim 1 whereinthe data demodulator is further configured to: decode a second set ofdata pulses representing a first error code into a decoded error code;generate a second error code based on the decoded payload segment; andperform the first error check on the decoded payload segment bycomparing the decoded error code and the second error code.
 4. The slavebus controller of claim 3 wherein the data demodulator is configured togenerate the second error code based on the decoded payload segment bybeing configured to implement a first CRC algorithm on the decodedpayload segment so as to generate the second error code as a second CRC.5. The slave bus controller of claim 1 wherein the data demodulator isfurther configured to decode the first set of data pulses in accordancewith a PWM bus protocol.
 6. A bus interface system comprising: a busline; a master bus controller coupled to the bus line wherein the masterbus controller is configured to generate a first set of data pulsesalong the bus line representing a payload segment; a first slave buscontroller coupled to the bus line, wherein the first slave buscontroller is configured to: decode the first set of data pulsesrepresenting the payload segment into a first decoded payload segment;perform a first error check on the first decoded payload segment; andgenerate a first acknowledgment pulse along the bus line in response tothe first decoded payload segment passing the first error check; and asecond slave bus controller coupled to the bus line, wherein the secondslave bus controller is configured to decode the first set of datapulses representing the payload segment into a second decoded payloadsegment; perform a second error check on the second decoded payloadsegment; and generate a second acknowledgment pulse along the bus linein response to the first acknowledgement pulse generated by the firstslave bus controller.
 7. The bus interface system of claim 6 wherein thefirst slave bus controller does not generate the first acknowledgmentpulse when the first decoded payload segment fails the first errorcheck.
 8. The bus interface system of claim 7 wherein: the master buscontroller is configured to generate a first trigger pulse along the busline when the first slave bus controller does not generate the firstacknowledgment pulse; and the second slave bus controller is configuredto be triggered to generate the second acknowledgment pulse along thebus line by the first trigger pulse from the master bus controller. 9.The bus interface system of claim 6 wherein: the first slave buscontroller comprises a first memory device configured to store a firstslave data image, wherein the first slave bus controller is furtherconfigured to store the first decoded payload segment within the firstslave data in response to the first decoded payload segment passing thefirst error check; and the second slave bus controller comprises asecond memory device configured to store a second slave data, whereinthe second slave bus controller is further configured to store thesecond decoded payload segment within the second slave data in responseto the second decoded payload segment passing the second error check.10. The bus interface system of claim 9 wherein the master buscontroller comprises a third memory device configured to store a firstslave data image and a second slave data image, wherein the master buscontroller is configured to store the payload segment within the firstslave data image in response to the first acknowledgement pulse andstore the payload segment within the second slave data image in responseto the second acknowledgement pulse.
 11. The bus interface system ofclaim 6 wherein: the master bus controller is further configured to:generate a first error code based on the payload segment; and generate asecond set of data pulses along the bus line representing the firsterror code; and the first slave bus controller is further configured to:generate a second error code based on the first decoded payload segment;decode the second set of data pulses representing the first error codeinto a first decoded error code; and perform the first error check onthe first decoded payload segment by comparing the first decoded errorcode and the second error code.
 12. The bus interface system of claim 11wherein the second slave bus controller is further configured to:generate a third error code based on the second decoded payload segment;decode the second set of data pulses representing the first error codeinto a second decoded error code; and perform the second error check onthe first decoded payload segment by comparing the second decoded errorcode and the third error code.
 13. The bus interface system of claim 6wherein: the master bus controller is configured to generate the firstset of data pulses along the bus line representing the payload segmentin accordance with a pulse width modulation (PWM) bus protocol; and thefirst slave bus controller and the second slave bus controller areconfigured to decode the first set of data pulses in accordance with thePWM bus protocol.
 14. A method of operating a master bus controller, afirst slave bus controller, and a second slave bus controller coupledalong a bus line, comprising: generating a first set of data pulsesalong the bus line representing a payload segment with the master buscontroller; decoding the first set of data pulses representing thepayload segment into a first decoded payload segment with the firstslave bus controller; performing a first error check on the firstdecoded payload segment with the first slave bus controller; andgenerating a first acknowledgement pulse along the bus line in responseto the first decoded payload segment passing the first error check withthe first slave bus controller; decoding the first set of data pulsesrepresenting the payload segment into a second decoded payload segmentwith the second slave bus controller; performing a second error check onthe second decoded payload segment with the second slave bus controller;and generating a second acknowledgement pulse along the bus line inresponse to the first acknowledgement pulse generated by the first slavebus controller.
 15. The method of claim 14 further comprising: storingfirst slave data with a first memory device of the first slave buscontroller, wherein the first slave data is assigned to first memoryaddresses; and storing the first decoded payload segment at a firstmemory address of the first memory addresses in response to the firstdecoded payload segment passing the first error check; storing secondslave data with a second memory device of the second slave buscontroller, wherein the second slave data is assigned to second memoryaddresses; and storing the second decoded payload segment at a secondmemory address of the second memory addresses in response to the seconddecoded payload segment passing the second error check.
 16. The methodof claim 15 further comprising: storing a first slave data image with athird memory device of the master bus controller wherein the first slavedata image is assigned to third memory addresses such that the thirdmemory addresses correspond to the first memory addresses of the firstslave data; and storing the payload segment within the first slave dataimage at a third memory address of the third memory addresses inresponse to the first acknowledgement pulse, wherein the third memoryaddress of the third memory addresses corresponds to the first memoryaddress of the first memory addresses; storing a second slave data imagewith the third memory device of the master bus controller wherein thesecond slave data image is assigned to fourth memory addresses such thatthe fourth memory addresses correspond to the second memory addresses ofthe second slave data; and storing the payload segment within the secondslave data image at a fourth memory address of the fourth memoryaddresses in response to the second acknowledgement pulse, wherein thefourth memory address of the fourth memory addresses corresponds to thesecond memory address of the second memory addresses.
 17. The method ofclaim 14 wherein the first set of data pulses are generated with themaster bus controller in accordance with a pulse width modulation (PWM)protocol.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the first slave buscontroller decodes the first set of data pulses in accordance with thePWM protocol, and the second slave bus controller decodes the first setof data pulses in accordance with the PWM protocol.